BOWIE, Md. — The Michelin North America, Inc., and Tire Industry Association (TIA) scholarship program, now in its 20th year, has selected three students of employees of TIA-member companies as 2020 award recipients. The students were selected based on their exceptional academic and extracurricular achievements.
The three high school students — Kate Burnett of Granger, Ind.; Brendan McLernan of Philadelphia; and Charles Weltens of Bryan, Texas, — will share $6,250 in scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. The scholarship money can be used to support the costs of college tuition, fees and books.
The scholarship recipients were announced by Cara Cornelius, director of wholesale and car dealer business for Michelin North America, during TIA’s virtual Tire Industry Honors ceremony on Monday, Nov. 2.
Burnett, who received a $1,625 scholarship, is a graduate of Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind. She plans to study environmental sustainability at Indiana University and then go on to graduate school. Her father, Bruce Burnett, is employed by Tire Rack in South Bend, Ind.
McLernan, who received a $1,625 scholarship, is a graduate of Father Judge High School in Philadelphia and plans to study engineering at Penn State University. His father, Matthew McLernan, is employed by McCarthy Tire Service in Philadelphia.
Weltens, who received a $3,000 scholarship, is a graduate of Travis B. Bryan High School in Bryan, Texas, and plans to study mechanical engineering at Rice University. His father, Charles Weltens, is employed by Pilgers Tire and Auto Center, College Station, Texas.
"Each year we are honored to recognize hard-working high school students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement," TIA CEO Roy Littlefield said. "We appreciate working with Michelin to provide this scholarship assistance to the children of parents working in the tire industry at TIA-member companies.”
The Michelin/TIA Scholarship has been awarded every year since 2000 to either part-time employees or dependent children of full-time employees of TIA member tire dealers. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to a total of 69 recipients who have gone on to attend accredited two-year, four-year, technical or vocational schools. Once awarded, the recipients may renew the scholarship for up to three more years.