Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs Foundation awards $46,000 in scholarships

Twenty-six students pursuing careers in manufacturing each earned $1,500 to $2,500 toward their postsecondary studies from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT), The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA), Elgin, Ill.

For the fall 2017 semester, NBT awarded scholarships to the following students:

• Miranda Baker, Dutton, Ala., machine tool technology at Northeast Alabama Community College
• Alexander Barlow, Williamsport, Pa., welding engineering at Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Brent Bauries, Austin, Texas, aerospace engineering at The University of Texas at Austin
• Devon Berrios, Sioux Falls, S.D., mechanical engineering at Southeast Technical Institute
• Celeste Branstrom, Corpus Christi, Texas, mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University – College Station
• Benjamin Crandall, Albion, Mich., airframe maintenance technology at Lansing Community College
• Broc Downer, Valley Springs, Calif., welding at Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
• Richard Enigl, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., welding at Northwest Technical College
• Shandyll Fredrickson, Boyd, Wis., machine tool technology at Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Cristina Hain, Winchester, Mass., industrial engineering at Princeton University
• Alfred Hanko, Beaver Dam, Wis., design/drafting at Moraine Park Technical College
• Eurydice Kanimba, Blacksburg, Va., mechanical engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Alexander Kemnitz, Grand Island, Neb., CNC manufacturing/machining at Central Community College – Hastings
• Eric Kovacevich, Theresa, Wis., manufacturing engineering at Fox Valley Technical College
• Hannah Kuperus, Hopkins, Mich., mechanical engineering at Kettering University
• Nathaniel Lyon, Fredericksburg, Pa., welding engineering at Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Samuel McKeough, Gay, Ga., welding at Georgia Trade School
• Timothy Meinczinger, St. Charles, Mo., robotics/mechatronics/automation at State Technical College of Missouri
• Sarah Paxson, Palatine, Ill., CNC manufacturing/machining at Harper College
• Steven Prexta, Uniontown, Ohio, materials science and engineering at The Ohio State University
• David Reese, Maywood, Ill., industrial engineering at Triton College
• Melody Sadowski-Buca, Parma Heights, Ohio, aeronautical/aerospace engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology
• Christopher Schwaller, Eldon, Mo., design/drafting technology at State Technical College of Missouri
• Matt Smolko, Hanover, Pa., metal fabrication and welding at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
• Jimmy Thao, Appleton, Wis., electrical engineering at Fox Valley Technical College
• Spencer Tiegs, Waukesha, Wis., mechanical engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering

“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 and CNC technology, structural and pipe welding, sheet metal fabrication, engineering, and precision machining technology, these students will be prepared for the skilled labor openings that American manufacturers must fill.”

In addition to the scholarship, each winner also received from NBT’s industry partner SolidWorks Corp. a copy of its Student Design Kit CAD software package.

For more information, visit www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org/scholarships.