Slider

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (June 30, 2022) –

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is proud to announce the 52 recipients of its 2022 Scholarships and Tool Grants, funded through the generosity of a multitude of industry partners – both small and large.  (Alex Cazanas, shown below)

With the industry’s support, CREF funded nearly $150,000 in 2022 scholarships and tool grants as part of its ongoing efforts to support future collision repair industry professionals as they obtain their educations.

The recipients of the 2022 Tim Clark Memorial Scholarships include:

Eight exemplary students were chosen as the inaugural recipients of the Adelmann Family Scholarships, each receiving up to $10,000 toward tuition and/or education loans. “Supporting collision students is important for our entire industry,” recently retired industry veteran Tim Adelmann stated. “My family and I contacted CREF to start the Adelmann Family Scholarship because we felt it was time to step up and DO something to help support some of the best and brightest future repair technicians. As an industry, we need to do more to address the technician shortage, and with CREF’s assist, this seemed like a great way to help young people navigate through their training period and then place them in good-paying jobs.”

“CREF is honored to recognize these outstanding students through the 2022 scholarships and tool grants,” said Melissa Marscin, Director of Operations and Administration for CREF. “These students are truly committed to pursuing their education and in becoming part of the collision industry, and we hope these awards help to contribute to their successful careers.”

The recipients of the 2022 Adelmann Family Scholarships include:

• Davindra Cheddie (NYADI – Jamaica, NY)
• Gerardo Rojas (Fox Valley Technical College – Appleton, WI)
• Jawuan Alexander (UTI – Houston, TX)
• Emelie Horsens (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College – Green Bay, WI)
• Tate Ahlberg (Hawkeye Community College – Waterloo, IA)
• Alyssa Patton (NYADI – Jamaica, NY)
• Maverick Jaycox (South Central College – North Mankato, MN)
• Cesar Batista (NYADI – Jamaica, NY)

Service King awarded two annual Service King Way Grant: In Honor of Mario Malacara Scholarships, established in 2017 in memory of an admired member of the Service King family, who dedicated his life to improving the collision industry through mentorship and legislative efforts. “The Mario Malacara Scholarship memorializes his commitment to our company and our industry,” said Service King CHRO Sean Huurman. “We are honored to continue Mario’s legacy through this scholarship. In keeping with our core value of service, a value Mario lived daily, we are confident we can have a real and meaningful impact on future generations entering the collision repair business.”

Two $3,000 Service King Way Grants: In Honor of Mario Malacara were awarded to:

• Alex Cazanas (Collin County Community College – Allen, TX)
• Alan Tovias (Universal Technical Institute – Houston, TX)

Two deserving students won 2022 CCC Michael Salvatore Repair Technician Scholarships. In place since 2006, CCC awards scholarships to students currently enrolled in post-secondary collision repair programs who have demonstrated superior academic achievement. The recipients of CCC’s 2022 student scholarship program each received a $3,000 scholarship. Recipients include:

• Kelvin Mason (Kennedy-King College – Chicago, IL)
• Christopher Avelino (Kennedy-King College – Chicago, IL)

“Congratulations to this year’s recipients for their hard work and commitment to excellence in collision repair,” said Andreas Hecht, senior vice president, OEM and new ventures for CCC. “Ongoing education and training are critical as the industry works to keep pace with increasingly complex vehicles. Advanced technologies have become a central part of the collision repair industry and are essential to delivering thorough, timely, and consistent repair outcomes. CCC is proud to support the next generation of collision repairers as they work to prepare for a rewarding career in the automotive industry.”

The Atlanta I-CAR Committee wants to ensure that students are financially able to pursue their collision careers, so they recently awarded scholarships to two Maxwell High School students through CREF. Two students will each receive $3,000 scholarships to use toward tuition, books and tools as they further their educational pursuits. 

• Marinelly Santiago
• Abale Haylay 

“This is an amazing industry, but we have to attract more young people,” Atlanta I-CAR Committee Chair Gerry Poirier insists. “Learning to fix cars can open so many doors to a great career, so we do what we can to get good people interested, educated and employed. CREF is doing a great job raising awareness with efforts like Operative Talent, but they can’t do it without our help. Industry professionals need to support CREF because you’re busy and can’t do it all – and that’s exactly why you need to support the Foundation!” 

Six military veterans received support in pursuing their collision careers, thanks to the generosity of 3M, in collaboration with CREF. Four students received 3M tool kits, valued at $3,000 each, and two deserving students were awarded with $2,500 Hire Our Heroes Family Scholarships to financially aid their educational pursuits. 

The 2022 recipients of 3M and the Foundation’s Hire Our Heroes tool kits are:

• Jose Vasquez III (Universal Technical Institute – Houston, TX)
• Margaret Nicholson- shown to the right  (Universal Technical Institute – Houston, TX)
• Vanessa Garcia (Universal Technical Institute – Houston, TX)
• Wendell Harris (Universal Technical Institute – Houston, TX)

The recipients of 3M’s 2022 Hire Our Heroes Family Scholarships are:

• Grover Anderson (New York Automotive & Diesel Institute, Jamaica, NY)
• Jeremy Gattis (Guilford Tech Community College, Greensboro, NC)

Driven Brands also continued its partnership with CREF to again award Tim Clark Memorial Scholarships to two deserving collision repair students. “The collision repair industry is bursting with opportunity, and through programs like this, we can introduce new students to the field and help them start their journey on the right foot,” said Dean Fisher, collision president, Driven Brands. “We are grateful for the support the Collision Repair Education Foundation provides in making these scholarships possible. We are excited about the potential we are seeing in the recipients of the Tim Clark Memorial Scholarship, and we look forward to watching them continue to thrive.”

• David Thomas (Warren Tech – Lakewood, CO)
• Hector Gomez (Kennedy-King College – Chicago, IL)

Seven collision students with a special interest in the painting segment of the industry received scholarships funded by the PPG Foundation through CREF. PPG’s 2022 awards included six $4,500 scholarships in addition to a $1,000 PPG MVP scholarship, all designed to help recipients fund their education and ensure they have the opportunity to pursue a future career in the collision repair industry.

Recipients of PPG’s 2022 student scholarships for $4,500 include:

• Jarrod Johnson (Rosedale Technical College – Pittsburgh, PA)
• Sam Paukovics (Rosedale Technical College – Pittsburgh, PA)
• Sierra Marriner (Rosedale Technical College – Pittsburgh, PA)
• Txiab Khang (Dunwoody College – Minneapolis, MN)
• Drake Booth (Guilford Technical Community College – Greensboro, NC)
• Luis Del Real (Washburn Institute of Technology – Topeka, KS)

The recipient of the $1,000 PPG MVP scholarship was:

• Joseph Aubin- shown to the left  (Sandhills Community College – Pinehurst, NC)

“The 2022 student scholarships aim to support the recipients as they study and explore the robust career paths within the collision repair and paint industries,” said Malesia Dunn, executive director, PPG Foundation and corporate global social responsibility. “In partnership with the Collision Repair Education, we prioritize workforce development and helping to educate students with hands-on, practical education and skills that lead to career placement.”

Two students will receive $2,000 Collision Repair Education Foundation Board of Trustees Scholarships, which are funded by current members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees to provide students with financial assistance to be used towards tuition and other costs associated with their education in collision repair. This year’s recipients include:

• Lathen Worman (Area 30 Career Center – Greencastle, IN)
• Cara Wick (Minnesota State College Southeast – Winona, MN)

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. The 2022 Sulkala Family Scholarships, valued at $1,000 each, were awarded to:

• Viosan Myrtaj (South Technical High School – Saint Louis, MO)
• Lauren Lewis (Guilford Technical Community College – Greensboro, NC)

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. The two students who received a $2,000 Lon Baudoux Memorial Scholarship in 2022 are:

• Brenda Bravo (Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center – Reading, PA)
• Errol Ross (College of Transportation Technology – Queens, NY)

In 2021, author Rachael Alfonso collaborated with CREF to establish a fund to support female collision students during the 2021-2022 school year through the sale of her book, What Cars Say. Through this collaboration, a $500 scholarship was awarded to Quin Madsen (Technical College High School – Downingtown, PA) through CREF’s What Cars Say collaboration.

Additionally, 11 deserving students received $500 What Cars Say tool grants for use purchasing student uniforms, female spray suits, tools and equipment. The recipients include:

• Brenda Bravo (Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center – Reading, PA)
• Wynter Harris- (Kennedy-King College – Chicago, IL)
• Emelie Horsens (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College – Green Bay, WI)
• Lauren Lewis (Guilford Technical Community College – Greensboro, NC)
• Sierra Marriner (Rosedale Technical College – Pittsburgh, PA)
• Alyssa Patton (New York Automotive and Diesel Institute – Jamaica, NY)
• Sam Paukovics (Rosedale Technical College – Pittsburgh, PA)
• Yamila Saldana (Diamond Oaks Career Campus – Cincinnati, OH)
• Marinelly Santiago (Maxwell High School of Technology – Lawrenceville, GA)
• Princess Sturdivant (Guilford Technical Community College – Jamestown, NC)
• Cara Wick (Minnesota State College Southeast – Winona, MN)

Six students also received SataJet 5000 spray guns through CREF’s Tool Grants. This year’s recipients include:

• Cylus Trejo (College of Southern Idaho – Twin Falls, ID)
• Henry Huynh (Warren Tech – Lakewood, CO)
• Lauren Clear (Aims Automotive Technology Center – Windsor, CO)
• Ivan Marquez (Warren Tech – Lakewood, CO)
• Erik Palafox (Kennedy-King College – Chicago, IL)
• Tyler Reavis (Wilkes Community College – Wilkesboro, NC)

Lastly, two outstanding students will benefit from JW Bagley Foundation Scholarships, a non-industry entity that supports CREF’s mission and provided $4,000 toward each student’s education costs. The lucky recipients of these scholarships were:

• Mohammad Farhaan Ismail (New York Automotive and Diesel Institute – Jamaica, NY)
• Wynter Harris (Kennedy-King College – Chicago, IL)

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 the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, Managing Director, at 312-231-0258 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org. Monetary donations can be made online.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

Follow us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

If you would like more information about this topic, please email info@ed-foundation.org.