Luminas Scholarship

The Luminas Scholarship was established by Dr. Zachary Stier. This scholarship is dedicated to assisting DMACC students with disabilities. Stier stated, “it is important that everyone understand that individuals with disabilities help to shine a light in the world”. Stier was diagnosed with a learning disability in kindergarten. He became an advocate as a middle schooler to create awareness that learning does not occur in a silo, but instead educators must help students discover and embrace their learning pathway. Towards the end of high school, Stier was told that college might not be the best option because of low test scores. Through determination and the support of DMACC, Stier graduated with an Associates of Arts and Associates of Science in 2008. He also helped to establish the group, DIS-Adversity. He went on to complete a Bachelors of Psychology from Grandview University, a Masters of Library and Information Science from Drexel University, post-graduate studies in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute, a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University Portland, and a Doctorate in Education from Concordia University Chicago. He completed an internship at the Library of Congress Young Readers Center and a certification at Harvard Extension School. He serves on several boards. Stier has been the head of children’s services at Ericson Public Library since 2011. In 2014, Stier opened his company, Mr. Z and Company, LLC, to provide services to educators, librarians, and families to help find pathways to learning through the power of story.