PMMI awards nearly $90,000 in scholarships to students

Twenty-two students received $4,000 scholarships from the PMMI Scholarship in Memorial of Claude S. Breeden, Glenn Davis and Art Schaefer, according to PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

PMMI has more than doubled its annual academic scholarship funds to $90,000 to reward students at two-year partner schools. To qualify for the scholarship, students are required to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and plans for a career in packaging and processing machinery manufacturing, as well as a record of past awards and recognition and industry involvement through internship and career development opportunities.

“We award these scholarships to two-year students to promote the value of technical schools in closing the manufacturing skills gap by developing a qualified emerging workforce,” says Kate Fiorianti, education manager, PMMI. “These two-year schools are affordable, making cutting-edge technical training accessible to many, while offering more flexibility with internship and apprenticeship opportunities.”

Overall, the PMMI Foundation provides more than $150,000 in academic scholarships each year to students studying packaging, food processing, engineering and mechatronics at more than 40 partner schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. Since the scholarship program’s establishment, the PMMI Foundation has given more than $2 million to students pursuing careers in the packaging and processing industries. Funds are raised through events like the PMMI Foundation Golf Tournament, the Amazing Packaging Race and the brand-new CareerLink @ Pack Expo networking and interview event held this year at Pack Expo International and the co-located Healthcare Packaging Expo (Oct. 14-17, Chicago).

The winners of the 2018 PMMI Scholarship in Memorial of Claude S. Breeden, Glenn Davis and Art Schaefer are:

• Faraeh Awale, Hennepin Technical College
• Tolulope Awe, Reading Area Community College
• Benjamin Bean, Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Zane Burnett, Alexandria Technical and Community College
• Jeremy Carlson, Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Kalie Conner, Community College of Alleghany County
• Jonathan Droneck, Hennepin Technical College
• Austin Fitch, Community College of Alleghany County
• Bill Goodridge, Central Piedmont Community College
• Trent Holben, Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Robert Howard, Central Community College
• Danial Kilinski, Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Andrew Lembeck, Hennepin Technical College
• Macky Masalayinga, Central Piedmont Community College
• Abigail Meredick, Pennsylvania Technical College
• David Moroskie, Pennsylvania Technical College
• Natalie Rhoades, Pennsylvania Technical College
• Tyler Schmill, Pennsylvania Technical College
• Henri Siyapdje, Community College of Alleghany County
• Harle Smale, Pennsylvania Technical College
• Matthew Witt, Hennepin Technical College
• Jacob Gaspari, Central Community College

In addition to scholarships, PMMI U Connection offers several opportunities for students and young industry professionals to connect with PMMI member and CPG companies. Earlier this year, PMMI U Connection launched CareerLink, a new online job board where PMMI member companies can post entry-level job and internship positions for students and veterans to apply. Students from partner schools are also encouraged to attend Pack Expo free of charge to see the industry in action and network with PMMI members and CPG companies.