Congratulations to senior Dane Debbrecht, the winner of the 1st Annual Peter Mukhtar Live Generously Scholarship. 

The Scholarship, established in memory of Peter Mukhtar, DLS Class of 2003, is awarded to a high school senior, from either De La Salle Collegiate or Warren Mott High School, who is pursuing further education. 

To be considered, an applicant had to submit a 250 - 500 word essay conveying how “you live generously and exhibit family values.” Some excerpts from Dane's essay are at the end of this article. 

In September 2023, Peter passed away from heart failure on a family trip to Myrtle Beach; he was playing pickleball. 

DLS Faculty member Mr. Thaier Mukhtar said his brother Richard and his wife Nancy established the scholarship to honor their nephew Peter, son of Gus and Nadia Mukhtar. 

“This is my brother’s way of having Peter’s memory live on forever,” Mukhtar said. “Our family is based on love, family values, and traditions.” 

Mukhtar encouraged his students to apply and added, “My brother and his wife told me many of the boys from DLS wrote wonderful essays, and Dane’s essay came from the heart and captured the importance of family values. They were impressed that Dane did some research on Peter and captured how Peter ‘Lived Generously” in his essay.”

Peter was a lifelong resident of Warren. After high school graduation, Peter earned his business degree from Grand Valley State University. He married his wife Ashley in 2019, and they purchased a home on the city’s west side. 

Every Sunday, Peter looked forward to and enjoyed a day at his parents’ home, spending quality time with his wife, brothers, and parents. He was the king of backyard games and an active participant in many social leagues. He was the person who organized get-togethers with colleagues and weekend plans with friends. He was the driving force who kept the extended family close. He freely gave of himself to enrich others’ lives and experiences. 

Some excerpts from Dane's essay: 

From the time I was very young, my parents instilled in me a philosophy:  "We all do better when we all do better."  In that, my parents exemplified living generously.

And so from a very young age, whether I was assisting one of them with shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor early in the morning, assisting victims of domestic violence, women with young children, moving donated furniture into a new home or an apartment, volunteering to coach underprivileged kids in basketball, tutoring younger kids that are falling behind, or most recently starting my non-profit to raise money to help fund kids who cannot afford money for leagues or equipment they need for sports.

I did not know Peter Mukhtar, but in preparation for this, the photos of his life clearly show how deeply he lived his commitment to others.  Without question, I hope to touch as many individuals' lives as I can moving forward. I have deeply embraced the ideology that my family and my time at DLS have instilled in me.  It would be my honor to have the opportunity to work to fulfill his legacy.