SMI Awards $31,000 Scholarship in 2020 Scholarship Program

SMI Awards $31,000 in 2020 Scholarship Program

By Gary McCoy

The results are in for the 2020 SMI Scholarship program. Awards of $31,000 were granted to 14 students among a pool of applicants from SMI’s members in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

This marks the 10th year of SMI‘s scholarship program. In total the program has awarded scholarship assistance to 146 students representing $287,000 in financial aid.

“SMI recognizes the importance of higher education with the growth of our scholarship program that directly benefits the employees of our member companies,” said SMI president Bert Goering. “As we celebrate our 10th year since the program’s inception, I want to congratulate each of our 14 recipients and extend best wishes to each of them in their career pursuits.”

To be eligible for an SMI scholarship, award winners must be a full-time employee or a dependent child of a fulltime employee who works for an SMI member company. For 2020, SMI awarded nine regional scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each. In addition, five at-large scholarships were also selected: • Ronald and Adrienne Banas Scholarship, $5,000 • International Spring Scholarship, $4,000 awarded to two students in the amount of $2,000 each • Callaghan-Hart Scholarship, $2,000 • Albert H. Goering Memorial Scholarship, $2,000

SMI member companies will be sent information for the 2021 scholarship program in the fall, via mail, email and SMI’s website, www.smihq.org.

2020 Regional Scholarships

Canada

Amira Gill

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada SMI Member Parent: Gurmail Gill, Commercial Spring & Tool Attending: Queen’s University, School of Graduate Studies, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Major: Structural Engineering

Chicago

Mina Truesdale

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin SMI Member Parent: Stephen Truesdale, R&L Spring Attending: Cedarville University, Cedarville, Ohio Major: Chemistry Michigan

Connor Burrows

Hometown: Zeeland, Michigan SMI Member Parent: Brad Burrows, Automatic Spring Products Attending: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Major: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

Mid-Atlantic

Brendan VanDeven

Hometown: Harleysville, Pennsylvania SMI Member Parent: Jason VanDeven, Rolled Metal Products Attending: Penn State Abington Major: Information Sciences and Technology

Northeast

Tania Jimenez Elise Deerwester Emily Jolley

Hometown: Waterbury, Connecticut SMI Member Parent: Joe Santiago, Gibbs Attending: Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut Major: Elementary Education Southwest

Anna Roye

Hometown: Pontotoc, Mississippi SMI Member Parent: Allen Roye, MW Industries/Pontotoc Spring Attending: Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi

Pittsburgh-Ohio

Hometown: Springfield, Ohio SMI Member Parent: Dave Deerwester, The Yost Superior Co. Attending: University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology

Southeast

Major: Nursing

Hometown: Campobello, South Carolina SMI Member Parent: Nathan Jolley, Duer/Carolina Coil Attending: College of Charleston Honors College Majors: Chemistry and Political Science West

Gabriella Rosal Calit

Hometown: Stockton, California SMI Member Parent: Derrick Calit, Sumiden Wire Corp Attending: University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California Major: Chemical Engineering

“As we celebrate our 10th year since the program’s inception, I want to congratulate each of our 14 recipients and extend best wishes to each of them in their career pursuits.”

Scholarship Recipients Say Thanks

Here are excerpts from correspondence sent to SMI by this year’s scholarship recipients to express their gratitude.

“I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude at receiving the Ronald and Adrienne Banas Scholarship Award for the 2020–2021school year. This scholarship is an incredibly generous gift. I am currently a first year student in the Master of Public Health in Epidemiology program at the University of Minnesota. My program offers very few scholarships, so I am immensely grateful for the kind generosity of scholarship programs such as yours. Although pursuing this degree has been a huge financial commitment, I know that the skills I am learning will be well worth it. I am an active member of the Medical Reserve Corp and will be assisting in the COVID-I9 response at the University of Minnesota in the coming weeks and months. This pandemic has reinforced my dedication to public health and well-being, and my gratitude at receiving a scholarship that provides substantial financial support as I pursue my academic and professional goals.”

Lydia Fess

“I want to thank the Spring Manufacturers Institute for the generous scholarship of $2,000. This scholarship will greatly help as I continue my education as a woman in engineering. I am very thankful and blessed that I was selected to receive this scholarship. I am looking forward to learning all I can at the University of Dayton and applying it to my future career. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.”

Elise Deerwester

“It is with a profound sense of humility that I express to you my appreciation in being chosen as a recipient for the SMI scholarship. My education is of the utmost importance to not only me, but my parents and family alike. My pursuit of a career in medicine has been inspiring and gratifying. This intrinsic drive for a life serving others is something I take great pride in. Furthermore, I am grateful to have individuals around me committed to furthering my ability to do so. The expenses associated with higher education cannot be underestimated. The financial assistance that this scholarship provides is something I cannot say thank you enough for. I look forward to seeing how support from people and organizations like yourself will continue to facilitate my transition into the health care field.”

Connor Burrows

“Thank you for choosing me to be the Albert H. Goering Memorial Scholarship recipient. The money that I have been given will go toward my education at Muskegon Community College while I am studying human science. After I graduate with my degree, I will transfer to Michigan State University to pursue my dream of becoming a pediatrician. Thank you so much for assisting me in getting a head start on my education.”

Emme Jensen

2020 At-Large Scholarships

Albert H. Goering Memorial Scholarship

Emme Jensen

Hometown: Muskegon, Michigan SMI Member Parent: Eric Jensen, Michigan Spring & Stamping Attending: Muskegon Community College, Muskegon, Michigan Major: Health Science International Spring Scholarship

Hometown: Sussex, Wisconsin SMI Member Parent: Steve Kuehl, Exacto Spring Attending: Evangel University, Springfield, Missouri Major: Worship Leadership

Callaghan-Hart Scholarship

Nadya Gill

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada SMI Member Parent: Gurmail Gill, Commercial Spring & Tool Attending: Queen’s University, School of Graduate Studies, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Major: Law Ronald and Adrienne Banas Scholarship

Hometown: Fox Lake, Illinois SMI Member Parent: Shelly Fess, R&L Spring Attending: University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus, Minneapolis, Minnesota Major: Epidemiology

International Spring Scholarship

Victoria Jones Kellie Kuehl Lydia Fess

Hometown: Inman, South Carolina SMI Member Parent: Travis Jackson, Duer/Carolina Coil Attending: Washington State University, Pullman, Washington Major: Clinical Psychology