Education scholarships totaling $15,000 have been awarded to 15 students pursuing careers in the tooling and manufacturing industries.
With the NWPA NTMA Education Foundation awards for the 2024-25 academic year, the foundation has awarded more than $185,000 in grants since 1999.
Also, since 1999, the foundation has awarded $169,447 in general grants to support the continuing education of those pursuing careers in the tooling and manufacturing industries.
The foundation is an IRS-recognized 501©(3) nonprofit foundation of the Morthwestern Pennsylvania chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association, an industry trade group.
The majority of the funds will be awarded to students from northwestern Pennsylvania who wish to further their careers in the area.
The recipients received their scholarship certificates at the NWPA NTMA’s annual summer golf outing at The Country Club of Meadville. Part of the proceeds from the annual outing benefits the foundation.
The prizes were distributed as follows:
• Payton Costello received the John J. Wehrle Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 and will attend Penn State for mechanical engineering technology.
• Maxwell Dillaman received the Hagan Business Machines Scholarship for $1,000 and is attending Mercyhurst University to study business and finance.
• Myranda Findlay received the $1,000 Kenneth & Margaret Deane Scholarship and is studying at Penn State Behrend for plastics engineering.
• Olivia Kennedy received the Ronald J. Cummings Scholarship for $1,000 and will attend Penn State Behrend for plastics engineering.
• Jackson Mumford received the $1,000 Larry D. Proper Memorial Scholarship and is studying electrical engineering at Grove City College.
• Zachary Talarico received the $1,000 JO Starn Scholarship and is studying computer engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology.
• Logan McClimans received the $2,000 Marquette Savings Bank Scholarship and is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Akron.
• Gavin Sekerski received the Peter’s Heat Treating Scholarship for $2,000 and is attending Penn State Behrend for mechanical engineering.
• Eli Bukoski received the Gary Slezak Memorial Scholarship for $5,000 and is studying electrical engineering at the University of Akron.
The Ronald J. Cummings Memorial Scholarship, the Kenneth & Margaret Deane Scholarship and the Gary M. Slezak Memorial Scholarship are permanent endowments administered by the Crawford Heritage Community Foundation.
Earlier this year, additional scholarships were awarded to students at the technical center.
Jacob Little was the outstanding precision machining student of the year at the Crawford County Career & Technical Center, receiving $500 from the foundation and a $500 match from Lowry Supply Co.
The outstanding student of the year in precision machining at Erie County Technical School was Calvin Smith, who received $500 from the foundation and a $500 award from Lowry Supply.
The foundation’s existence depends on donations from the community. Proceeds are awarded locally to people interested in a career in the tooling and manufacturing industries.
• Learn more about donating or creating a grant: Contact the foundation at (814) 720-0094 or via email at edfoundation@nwpa-ntma.com.
