NAG Announces 2023 Scholarship Recipients

This year’s scholarship — awarded to four students affiliated with National Advisory Group (NAG) member companies — is named after the late Ken McMullen, CEO of Weigel’s and longtime NAG supporter.

Kevin McIntyre • Editorial Assistant

As the cost of tuition continues to increase at universities across the country, many college students can feel overwhelmed with the financial burden. In an effort to partially ease that burden, the National Advisory Group (NAG) and the Young Executives Organization (YEO) have developed an ongoing scholarship fund specifically for employees of NAG member companies and their children.

The 2023 NAG Scholarship has been named the “Ken McMullen Memorial Scholarship” in honor of Ken McMullen, CEO of Weigel’s, who passed away on July 29, 2021. This is the second consecutive year that the scholarship has been named for McMullen. McMullen and the Weigel’s team have been a crucial and active part of NAG for more than 30 years.

This year, McMullen’s memory will be honored through four $1,000 scholarships, divided among employees or family members of valued NAG member companies. The four 2023 winners represent Kwik Star, Kwik Trip, Crosby’s and Weigel’s.

Scholarships Make A Difference

To many students, scholarships can be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing where to attend college. Oftentimes, they can be the difference between continuing education or deciding against it. Scholarships can, at the very least, provide some peace of mind knowing that one’s ambitions are being supported.

While tuition is the most notable financial concern in the college application process, it is also important to note that there are unexpected expenses that can cause stress for students, such as housing, dining hall plans and more. With the availability of scholarships, many students can focus their finances on other areas that require their attention.

Most college students graduate with significant student loans, with the average being over $37,000, according to the Education Data Initiative. For private colleges and uni- versities, that number jumps to over $54,000. For many people applying to college, this debt would be insurmountable without help from scholarships or financial aid programs.

The Ken McMullen Memorial Scholarship is fully funded by the dues of NAG members which, each year, give deserving students financial assistance in their college endeavors. Established in the 1990s, more than $150,000 has been awarded to over 130 individuals through the scholarship.

2023 Recipients

Recipients are selected based on Scholarship America procedures. They are evaluated on leadership and participation in school and community activities; past academic performance; and future potential, work experience and an outside appraisal.

To be eligible, the recipients had to be employees or children of employees that work for convenience store/petroleum marketers that are members of NAG. They must plan to enroll in a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate course of study at an accredited two- or fouryear college, university or vocationaltechnical school. Those who are current students or who have attended a school in the past three years must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

This year’s winners are:

Kylie Buchholz, of Cedar Falls, Iowa

Kylie’s father, James Buchholz, has been employed by Kwik Star in Cedar

Falls, Iowa, for three years. Kylie — class of 2027 — will study elementary education at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Haley Ferrier, of Sherwood, Wis. Haley has worked at Kwik Trip in Combined Locks, Wis., for the past three years. As a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Haley is studying mechanical engineering and sustainability & renewable energy systems.

Hailey Garrison, of Angola, N.Y. Hailey has been a sales associate at Crosby’s for almost three years. A freshman at SUNY College at Fredonia, Hailey is majoring in business administration.

Jake Starnes, of Knoxville, Tenn.

Jake’s mother, Jessica Starnes, is an employee at Weigel’s in Powell, Tenn. Set to graduate in 2027, Jake is studying education at Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn.