The Truckload Carriers Association Scholarship Fund is providing financial assistance to the most recipients in its 48-year history.
For the 2021-22 academic school year, 57 undergraduate college students with ties to the trucking industry were awarded scholarships, TCA said. Each student, including 19 from refrigerated carriers, earned a scholarship ranging from $2,725 to $6,250 from a total pool of $163,775.
Additionally, the Fund introduced a new, fully endowed Past Chairmen’s Fund scholarship—the Robert D. Penner Scholarship. Penner served as TCA’s chairman from 2017 to 2018.
In order for a TCA past chairman to have a fully endowed scholarship in their name,
The inaugural recipient of the Robert D. Penner Scholarship, in the amount of $3,250, is Abbigale Brown, whose mother works at Long Haul Trucking based in Albertville, Minn. Brown will be a junior at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and is majoring in elementary education.
Since 1973, the Fund has provided scholarships to students associated with trucking. Each scholarship recipient must be a student in good standing attending a four-year college or university, and associated with a TCA member company as an employee, independent contractor, or the child, grandchild, or spouse of an employee or independent contractor of a TCA member company.
The Fund awards its scholarships without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, or genetic information.
“Coming off one of the most challenging years for many families, it feels particularly special to award this year’s recipients with the TCA Scholarship Fund awards,” said Darrel Wilson, TCA Scholarship Fund chairman and Wilson Logistics founder and CEO. “The TCA and I are proud to support these young adults as they continue their education, and we look forward to seeing their successes as they progress through their collegiate careers and beyond.”
New this year, the application process was managed by the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC).
A selection committee, handpicked by OFIC, scored the applicants, taking into considering the applicant’s GPA, major, extracurricular activities, hours worked, and more.
The largest scholarships are named in honor of dedicated members, affiliates, and past TCA chairmen.
Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients (reefer carriers in bold):
- Thomas Goble, Central Marketing Transport, NAIT Scholarship – $6,250
- Rae Ballinger, H.O Wolding, Inc., John Kaburick Scholarship – $4,500
- Landry Kirsling, H.O. Wolding, Inc., Kai Norris Scholarship – $3,250
- Mason Jenkins, Doug Andrus Distributing, LLC, Darrel Clark Wilson III Scholarship – $3,250
- Tristan Schelvan, H.O. Wolding, Inc., Thomas Welby Scholarship – $3,250
- Austin Wagner, McLeod Software Corporation, Inc., Stoney Reese Stubbs Scholarship – $3,250
- Kaitlyn Mcphee, Prime Inc., Robert Low Scholarship – $3,250
- Abbigale Brown, Long Haul Trucking, Robert D. Penner Scholarship – $3,250
The following have been awarded $2,725 for the 2021-22 school year (reefer carriers in bold):
- Adam Mejia, USA Truck Inc.
- Alexandra Wayne, Brown Trucking Co.
- Amy Pitzel, Bison Transport
- Andrea Vidaurre, EFS, a WEX Inc. Company
- Andrew Goble, Central Marketing Transport, Inc.
- Anja Ziegler, Hill Brothers Transportation, Inc.
- Anna Rzepkowski, Bennett Family of Companies
- Anthony Ciraulo, Werner Enterprises, Inc.
- Aubree Boyd, Daseke, Boyd Bros. Transportation, Inc.
- Brittany Woods, Christenson Transportation, Inc.
- Brittlee Broom, KLLM Transport Services
- Brooke Robinson, Bay & Bay
- Casey Russell, JLE Industries
- Courtney Street, Wilson Logistics
- Elizabeth Wilhelm, Hirschbach Motor Lines
- Emily Dudaitis, E and V Services, Inc.
- Emily Gomez, John Christner Trucking, Inc.
- Erik Zaporozhets, Bison Transport
- Ethan Neil, Werner Enterprises, Inc.
- Freddy Brown, Wilson Logistics
- Gavin Jeffries, Wabash National Corporation
- Grace Hensley, Daseke, Lone Star Transportation, LLC
- Hadley Baerns, Skyline Transportation, Inc.
- Isabella McDaniel, Buchanan Hauling & Rigging, Inc.
- Jack Thompson, Cheema Freightlines, LLC
- Jared Anderson, deBoer Transportation, Inc.
- Jeb Lucas, Werner Enterprises, Inc.
- Jocelyn Calderon, Whiteline Express, Ltd.
- Joseph Aiello, Abenaqui Carriers
- Joshua Short, Cargo Transporters, Inc.
- Kaylee Peiffer, Dickey Transport
- Kelsey McGaughey, PGT Trucking, Inc.
- Kenna Holtzen, Fremont Contract Carriers, Inc.
- Keylan Newton, Covenant Transport Services
- Lucas Leiter, Styer Transportation Company
- Mallory Beamer, Dutch Maid Logistics
- Martina Tolhurst, Bison Transport
- Mason Ringger, Nussbaum Transportation Services, Inc.
- Megan Rogers, Don Hummer Trucking Corp.
- Morgan Tracy, Acrisure LLC, HNI Risk Services
- Nathan Gariepy, Load One, LLC
- Olivia Thompson, Cheema Freightlines, LLC
- Rajpreet Gill, Bison Transport
- Robert Tolhurst, Bison Transport
- Ryan Nicelley, Keller Logistics, LLC
- Timothy Gilleo, Boyle Transportation
- Varun Sivakumar, Werner Enterprises
- Venkatesh Mahadevan, Bison Transport
- Victoria Freeman, U.S. Xpress Inc.
To learn more about the TCA Scholarship Fund, or for information on how to donate to the Past Chairmen’s Fund, visit truckload.org/scholarships.
