More than 20 students in the U.S. and Canada won a total of $28,000 in the latest awards of scholarships from the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association’s Educational Foundation.

For a number of years, WMIA’s Educational Foundation has awarded scholarships to those who want to study, and eventually pursue a career in, wood technology, machinery, and related fields. To date, the foundation has provided more than $400,000 to assist talented students with furthering their educational and career goals.

During this year’s Woodworking Industry Conference, the foundation’s Board of Trustees selected 11 college students to receive a total of $15,000 in scholarships. The foundation also continued its scholarship endowment program (SEP) this year, in which it provided a fixed amount of scholarship funds to several schools, and the schools determined how many scholarships to award, and in what amounts. Three schools—Pittsburg State University and the New England School of Architectural Woodworking in the United States, and the École Nationale du Meuble et de L’Ébénisterie (ENME) in Canada —participated in the program, awarding a total of $13,000 in scholarships to 11 students.

The 2018 scholarship recipients are:

• Mary Anderson, Seattle, Washington – Seattle Central College Wood Technology Center;

• Kelson Claassen, Hesston, Kansas – Pittsburg State University;

• Casey Clark, Seattle, Washington – Seattle Central College Wood Technology Center;

• Roger Cortes, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada – ENME;

• Gage Davis, Dorchester, Texas – Pittsburg State University;

• Sarah Fortin-Pelletier, La Salle, Quebec, Canada – ENME;

• Sam Galliart, Hutchinson, Kansas – Pittsburg State University;

• Joshua Irsik, Ingalls, Kansas – Pittsburg State University;

• Brian Klik, Seattle, Washington – Seattle Central College Wood Technology Center;

• Jose Leos, Houston, Texas – Pittsburg State University;

• Jennifer Lopez, Houston, Texas – Pittsburg State University;

• John McCoy, Shoreline, Washington – Seattle Central College Wood Technology Center;

• Kort McDonough, Scammon, Kansas – Pittsburg State University;

• Michael McKee, Boston, Massachusetts – New England School of Architectural Woodworking;

• Joshua Meyer, Troy, Missouri – University of Missouri-Columbia;

• Kate Montgomery, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada – ENME;

• Cole Morgan, Seattle, Washington – Seattle Central College Wood Technology Center

• Sarah Provard, West Jordan, Utah – Pittsburg State University;

• Moriah Ross, Meade, Kansas – Pittsburg State University;

• Leah Surprenant, Oxford, Massachusetts – New England School of Architectural Woodworking;

• Kendra VanPolen, McBain, Michigan – Pittsburg State University; and

• Samuel Winklebleck, Seattle, Washington – Seattle Central College Wood Technology Center

“Once again this year, WMIA’s Education Committee and the Foundation Board of Trustees were quite impressed with not only the skills and accomplishments of the scholarship recipients, but the passion they expressed about having a career in the woodworking industry,” said WMIA Education Committee Chairman Chris Hofmann, Lamello product manager – Eastern U.S., Colonial Saw Co., Inc. “WMIA is very proud to support the industry in this way year after year!”

The WMIA Educational Foundation is supported by contributions from business groups and individuals in the woodworking industry, and the International Woodworking Fair (IWF). Contributions can be accepted at any time and in any amount, and are tax deductible. For information on contributing to the WMIA Educational Foundation, contact Larry Hoffer at [email protected].

Since 1978, the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association has represented importers and distributors of woodworking machinery and ancillary equipment in North America. WMIA is the co-owner of the International Woodworking Fair, the largest woodworking trade show in the U.S., and is cosponsor of the annual Woodworking Industry Conference. For more information, visit www.wmia.org.