Recipients shall be admitted undergraduate students in the College of Education secondary education program with a major in Mathematics. To qualify, candidates for this award must have graduated from a high school in the United States and received the majority of freshman and sophomore credits from a community college(s). The award may be renewable in the senior and/or internship year as long as the recipient(s) maintains a grade point average acceptable to the college.

Judith A. and John W. Kleeves: This endowment is a gift from Judith A. and John W. Kleeves who wish to help Michigan State University students achieve the success that they were able to earn through their college education. They began their married life in Spartan Village and continued to support and be part of Michigan State as they pursued their professional careers.  

They would also encourage these future alumni to provide their support to MSU as they, in turn, graduate and lead productive lives. This rhythm of effort continues to improve the lives of others. Judy was a middle school math teacher in Lansing and Walled Lake, Michigan where she enjoyed sharing her comfort in math with her delight of middle school students for twenty nine years.

Her avocation centered on fiber and needle arts but that ranked a low comparison with her primary love of family and friends. John, a mechanical engineer with the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, Michigan devoted over thirty five years to the research and development of vehicle crashworthiness. Being an avid fisherman and nature lover, his concern for safety ran beyond the automotive industry into a deep personal interest in the world of marine and wild life. Together their harmonious lives left them hopeful to improve our world of humans surrounded by nature, each dependent on the other for the good of all.