Thanks to a generous donation from CCC, three lucky post-secondary students will receive a 2023 CCC Michael Salvatore Repair Technician Scholarship, valued at $3,000 each. CCC’s ongoing dedication to the industry helps ensure that these students and others have the resources and opportunities they need to achieve their goals.
Recipients of CCC’s 2023 student scholarships include:
- Anthony Toney, Kennedy King College, Chicago, IL
- Bernard Anane, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL
- Jose Padilla, Kennedy King College, Chicago, IL
The winner of the $2,000 CREF Board of Trustees Scholarship is Giovanni Gonzalez-Hernandez, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, NC. Funded by current members of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, this scholarship provides students with financial assistance to be used towards tuition and other costs associated with their education in collision repair.
The Sulkala Family Scholarship, valued at $2,000, was awarded to Casey Atkins, Kennedy King College, Chicago, IL. Administered by the foundation, the Sulkala Family Scholarship was created to honor the 50-year career and legacy of Chuck Sulkala, founder and executive director of the National Auto Body Council (NABC), who retired in 2018.
Created to honor Lon Baudoux, I-CAR development manager who passed away in 2008, the Lon Baudoux Memorial Scholarship is funded primarily by I-CAR staff and instructors who worked with Baudoux, in recognition of the importance he placed on secondary and post-secondary collision repair students receiving a proper education. Scholarship funds are designed to help students finance their education. Recipients are selected based on academic excellence, as well as participation in outside activities, such as sports, clubs and volunteer work.
The two students will each receive a $2,500 Lon Baudoux Memorial Scholarship are:
- Adam Perrin, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE
- Sierra Fahley, Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI
The inaugural Jeff Silver Memorial Scholarship, valued at $2,000, was awarded to Robbie McDonald, Lincoln College of Technology, Nashville, TN. Established in December 2022, the Jeff Silver Memorial Scholarship honors the memory and long-lasting legacy of Jeff Silver, a respected trailblazer and leader in industry repair standards. During his tenure with I-CAR, Silver’s concern with the lack of workers entering the skilled trades led to the establishing of CREF in 1991 in an effort to attract young people to the collision repair industry and to support the training institutions providing their educations. Due to Silver’s love for the collision industry and his dedication to ensuring the next generation would enjoy the same opportunities within the field, the Silver family believes the Jeff Silver Memorial Scholarship, designed to help remove financial barriers for students studying collision repair, is the perfect way to continue the legacy he left behind.
Driven Brands awarded the 2023 Tim Clark Memorial Scholarship to David Aguirre, Kennedy King College, Chicago, IL, who received a $1,000 scholarship to be used toward tuition, books and tools. The Tim Clark Memorial Scholarship was established in 2015 after Tim Clark, a 37-year industry veteran and executive at Fix Auto USA, passed away. As a strong advocate for education and seeking one’s higher purpose in life, Clark left directions and funding to initiate the scholarship, which was embraced by Driven Brands and CREF in an effort to continue his legacy. Donations can be made to CREF in direct support of the Fix Auto USA—Tim Clark Memorial Scholarship to ensure more students have continued access to an education in the collision repair industry.
Eric Garcia, Kennedy-King College, Chicago, IL, received the 2023 Ron Ray Memorial Tool Grant, valued at $500. This memorial fund was established in 2020 in honor of CREF’s former Executive Director Ron Ray, who was instrumental in developing CREF into the organization it has become.
Lastly, four outstanding students will benefit from JW Bagley Foundation Scholarships, a non-industry entity that supports CREF’s mission and provided $2,500 toward each student’s education costs. The lucky recipients of these scholarships are:
- Jonathan Aguirre Vivas, Piscatway Magnet School, Piscataway, NJ
- Peter Rozeboom, Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis, MN
- Aleah Sauder, Marengo Community High School, Marengo, IL
- Dominic Tello, Metro Community College, Omaha, NE
Secondary and post-secondary collision repair education students were eligible for these awards, which provide students with financial support to enable them to continue their education and prepare them for a successful career in body shops around the country.
Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting CREF’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs can contact us to learn about the many ways to get involved. Monetary donations can be made online.
Source: CREF
Abby Andrews