Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs awards $56,000 in manufacturing scholarships

Thirty-six students enrolled in programs that lead to careers in manufacturing received scholarships toward their post-secondary studies from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT), The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA).

For the fall 2019 semester, NBT awarded scholarships valued between $1,500 and $2,500 to the following students:

Alexa Adam, Borden, Ind., precision machining technology at Vincennes University
Michael Aja, Williamsport, Pa., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Hector Anguiano, Berwyn, Ill., mechatronics at Triton College
Tyler Bandle, Slatington, Pa., automated manufacturing technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Erin Beaver, Winfield, Pa., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Evan Bratina, Rockford, Ill., mechanical engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago
Adam Brock, Hoffman Estates, Ill., advanced welding certificate at Harper Community College
David Caldwell, Milnor, N.D., precision machining technology at North Dakota College of Science
Jose Camargo, Elgin, Ill., computer integrated manufacturing at Elgin Community College
Maria Cantin, Livonia, Mich., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Jeremy Carlson, Russell, Pa., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Nathanael Chu*, Lantana, Texas, mechanical engineering at University of Texas at Austin
Dylan Coomer, Waubeka, Wis., tool and die technologies at Moraine Park Technical College
Caleb Cutts**, Hattiesburg, Miss., mechanical engineering at Auburn University
Joseph DeWolfe, Albany, Ore., machine tool technology at Linn-Benton Community College
Jerrett Euans, Calmar, Iowa, CNC machining and tool-making technology at Hawkeye Community College
Ryan Henderson, State College, Pa., additive manufacturing and design at Penn State
Bethany Huff, Oxford, Kan., welding at North Central Kansas Tech
Rosalynn Kowal, Indianapolis, Ind., precision machining technology and advanced CNC programming at Vincennes University
Simon Mangold, Alameda, Calif., welding technology at Chabot College
James McCann, Doylestown, Pa., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Adam Melcher, South Lyon, Mich., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Abigail Meredick, Danville, Pa., industrial design at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Matthew Pape, Palmyra, Mich., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Nicole Pomeroy**, Michigan City, Ind., mechanical engineering at Valparaiso University
John Provenza, Jr., Marysville, Pa., automated manufacturing technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Samuel Rhoades, Greenville, Ohio, combination structural and pipe welding programs at Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
Robert Staudigel, East Northport, N.Y., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Luke Stolarski, Ypsilanti, Mich., welding and fabrication engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Sierra Strandberg, Mount Prospect, Ill., industrial technology and management at Illinois Institute of Technology
Nicole Tepley, Guilford, Conn., industrial and systems engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Amanda Thompson, Yakima, Wash., precision machining and manufacturing at Perry Technical Institute
Mickenna Turner, Sutter, Calif., mechanical engineering at University of Nevada, Reno
Rafal Waszkiewicz, Shelton, Conn., manufacturing operations at Kennesaw State University
Cody Wolkersdorfer, Veneta, Ore., machine tool technology at Linn-Benton Community College
Mark Wollander, Eugene, Ore., machine tool technology at Linn-Benton Community College

*U.K. Gupta Family Endowed Scholarship Recipient
**John Grossheim Memorial (OPC) Scholarship Recipient

“We are pleased to award scholarships to these deserving students and are happy to assist them in reaching their academic goals,” said Edward Youdell, president of Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs. “They recognize that skilled manufacturing careers can be rewarding financially and fulfilling personally. The knowledge and skills they obtain will help them be more competitive in the current job market.

“The most difficult jobs to fill today are those in the skilled trades and engineering,” added Youdell. “With majors in machine tool technology, structural and pipe welding, sheet metal fabrication, mechanical engineering, and precision machining technology, these students will be prepared for the skilled labor openings that American manufacturers must fill.”

Eligible applicants are required to be full-time students meeting a specified minimum GPA and enrolled in a manufacturing-related course of study, engineering curriculum, or a trade or technical program leading to a career in manufacturing. Students are responsible for submitting academic records and a manufacturing-related program description with each application.

In addition to the scholarship, each winner also received, from NBT’s industry partner SolidWorks Corporation, a 365-day license to its Student Design Kit CAD software package. The Student Design Kit is an easy-to-learn, Windows-based 3D CAD application that gives students the ability to create “real-life” 3D designs they can easily manipulate.

Since 1990, FMA’s Foundation, Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, has awarded nearly 500 scholarships valued at over $1 million to students enrolled in courses of study that will lead to careers in manufacturing. Scholarships are awarded twice each year for the fall and spring semesters. The application for spring awards is open from July 1-Sept. 30 and Jan. 1-March 31 for fall awards. For more information, visit nutsandboltsfoundation.org/Scholarships.