WSADA Announces 2016 Scholarship Winners
Five Washington Students Receive Auto Dealer Scholarships
The Washington State Auto Dealers Association (WSADA) awarded a total of $11,000 scholarships to five Washington students in the 2016 “New Car and Truck Dealers American Dream” scholarship program. Applicants were asked to write an essay detailing what the American Dream means to them and how they plan to fulfill their own dream.
“The judges were impressed with not only the recipients’ thoughtful and inspiring essays, but also their outstanding academic and community accomplishments,” said WSADA Executive Vice President Vicki Giles Fabré. “Each one is a highly capable, self-motivated, and promising young person who will undoubtedly make a significant impact on their communities in the future.”
A total of four $2,500 scholarships were designated for an Eastern Washington student, a Western Washington student, a student intending to study Automotive Technology and one for a family member of a WSADA member dealership employee. This year, an additional $1,000 scholarship was awarded to another outstanding applicant.
The Western Washington scholarship recipient was Garfield High School graduate Nina Mei. A member of her school’s mentoring program and varsity tennis team, Nina participated in the University of Washington’s Upward Bound program, and was recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction. She also earned a travel scholarship from the Japanese government after scoring in the top 5% nationwide on a Japanese placement exam and undergoing an extensive interview and screening process. A first generation college student, Nina attends Seattle University and plans to study nursing. “I am very appreciative of the scholarship opportunity from WSADA . . . and feel confident about what lies ahead in college because of the fund,” Nina said.
The Eastern Washington recipient was Richland High School graduate Marlee Turner. A member of the varsity Track and Field team and a Key Club officer, Marlee was a 4.0 student and took eleven Advanced Placement courses during high school. To help achieve her dream of becoming a doctor, Marlee applied for and was one of only 20 students selected from over 4,000 applicants for an internship at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. “I cannot thank WSADA enough for their generosity,” Marlee said. “I can now spend less time worrying about paying off loans and more time focusing on my education at Georgetown University where I will study International Health. I am one step closer to helping others live a full, healthy life. Thank you again, for helping me get there.”
Tacoma School of the Arts graduate Daisa Hudson received the scholarship earmarked for a family member of a WSADA dealer member employee. During high school, Daisa participated in the Running Start program at Tacoma Community College and volunteered at Tacoma Children’s Museum, The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, and a local elementary school. She also worked part-time during high school at BMW Northwest in Tacoma. She attends Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma and plans to earn a degree in Special Education. Daisa is the daughter of BMW Northwest office manager Melissa Hudson, and Keith Hudson, an employee of Northwest Mini, also in Tacoma. “I’m very grateful to receive this scholarship,” Kevin said, “and moving forward in life, I hope to be able to pay this generosity forward.”
Sequim High School graduate Andrew Janikic was awarded the Automotive Technology scholarship. Andrew earned a varsity letter in marching band, played soccer and both coached and refereed children’s soccer. During high school, he took two years of advanced automotive classes and is now majoring in Automotive Technology at Peninsula College in Port Angeles. He also began working at Koenig Subaru during the summer and plans to become a Certified Master Mechanic. “I am very grateful that the Washington State Auto Dealers Association has recognized my potential,” Andrew said, “and this scholarship will help me pay for my tools as well as fees associated with college.”
After determining the four scholarship recipients, the committee also decided to present an additional $1,000 scholarship to Austin Ball. A graduate of Interlake High School in Bellevue, Austin was an honor student and took a number of advanced courses. In addition to playing on both the varsity soccer team and a club team, Austin was a lifeguard and swim instructor, and coached and refereed youth boys’ and girls’ soccer. Austin attends and plays soccer at Western Washington University and plans to study Industrial Technology – Vehicle Design through the College of Science and Technology. “I look forward to making a positive impact on people’s lives, in particular their driving experience, and reducing our footprint on the environment,” Austin said. “With assistance from the WSADA scholarship, my dream of receiving a quality college education at WWU while playing varsity soccer is within reach.”
“Washington dealers as individuals are very active in supporting the academic goals of young people,” Ms. Fabré added. “The Washington State Auto Dealers Association is honored to take that a step further as a group and help Nina, Marlee, Daisa, Andrew and Austin as they embark on this exciting and important next phase in their lives.”
Since the 2008 inception of the Association’s scholarship program, a total of $77,000 has been awarded to 32 students from across the state. WSADA will offer another scholarship program in the fall of 2016. Information will be available at www.wsada.org.
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Click here for a pdf copy of the press release: press-release-wsada-announces-2016-scholarship-winners