The Mary Ellen Gase Scholarship was established for talented voice, keyboard, band, and orchestra music students to pursue college studies in music education, therapy, or performance and to share their love of music with the community.

Ms. Gase began teaching at South Intermediate School and spent the last 18 years of her career teaching gifted/talented students at the Center for the Arts and Sciences. She was awarded the Northwestern University Music School Fellowship Award in 1984. Ms. Gase became a certified MENC registered national music educator in 1990 and won an “Excellence in Teaching Award” from the Saginaw Board of Education in 1993. She also held the title of Master teacher who mentored new teachers and 15 student teachers from Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, and Saginaw Valley State University while teaching at South Intermediate School and the Center for Arts & Sciences. Throughout her teaching years, Ms. Gase sent over 250 students to attend Interlochen, Blue Lake, Blue Lake International Choir, Westminster, Fred Warning, and numerous college music workshops.

While working in her career with the Saginaw Public Schools, Ms. Gase developed the curriculum for the voice/keyboard department at the Center for Arts and Sciences. This curriculum was showcased in 1996 for “creative innovation” by the Michigan Education Association (MEA). She received the Grants for Excellence Award from the Saginaw Community Foundation in 1996 to fund original piano books written by her students. In 1999, Ms. Gase retired after 40 years of teaching music in the Saginaw Public Schools. Her dedication to music and the youth continues through this scholarship.