The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) successfully raised $9,670 through its 2024 Scholarship Fundraiser Walk and Donations programs, supporting a record 30 scholarships awarded to students in collision repair technology programs.
WIN’s annual scholarships are presented to deserving female students enrolled in post-secondary collision repair technology programs. This year’s fundraising success, combined with group sponsorships and general fund commitments, allowed WIN to provide $30,000 in scholarship support.
“The Women’s Industry Network’s mission is to support and enhance the role of women in the collision repair industry, promoting education, professional advancement and networking,” said Laura Kottschade, 2024 chair of the WIN Student Relations Committee. “This also grows the collision industry’s much needed workforce -- and that is why WIN and its sponsors play an important role in supporting and educating tomorrow’s collision repair professionals -- today.
“These additional funds also complement what our sponsors and our general fund provide, and have allowed WIN to award a record number of scholarships this past year alone,” she added.
The additional funds were raised through a series of initiatives, including the on-site Scholarship Walk held at the WIN Annual Conference in May in Newport Beach, CA, an ongoing donation campaign, and sales of SWAG and bracelets.
April Keim and Christina Sepulveda, WIN Scholarship Fundraising co-chairs, noted the success of this year’s efforts. “We separated the Scholarship Walk, support sales items, and the Scholarship Fundraiser to simplify and expand it for participant involvement," the co-chairs said. "We’re especially proud of all the individuals, as well as the corporate/business involvement, with the top three organizations recognized by their generosity.”
The top three businesses contributing to the fundraiser were Enterprise Mobility with $1,700, Classic Collision with $1,190, and Jerry’s Abra Auto Body & Glass with $1,000.
“We are thrilled to support the Women’s Industry Network’s mission to enhance the role of women in the collision repair industry,” said Mary Mahoney, vice president of Enterprise Mobility. “As a leading provider of mobility solutions, Enterprise Mobility has a major stake in the health of the automotive repair industry. We are committed to doing our part to invest in its continued success through participating in the WIN Scholarship fundraisers as well as providing foundational support for the Collision Engineering program, which aims to develop a new generation of highly skilled, motivated and passionate collision repair professionals.”
The record number of scholarships awarded this year also follows a record number of applications, thanks to WIN’s partnership with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). Each scholarship applicant received a complimentary WIN Student Membership, and award recipients are eligible to partake in WIN’s monthly mentoring program, which includes student engagement group calls and sharing best practices with industry professionals.
