Contact: Kristi Pronovost
Director of Marketing & Communications
717.653.8106 or kristi@abckeystone.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 10, 2020
Merit Shop Training and Research Center Awards 18 Scholarships
MANHEIM, PA, June 10, 2020 – Eighteen deserving individuals were recently awarded scholarships from the Merit Shop Training and Research Center (MSTRC). The $20,850 in scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year brings the total to $535,850 that has been awarded by MSTRC since its inception, helping students entering a career path in the construction industry.
The purpose of the Merit Shop Construction Scholarship Program, sponsored by ABC Keystone and administered by the Merit Shop Training & Research Center (MSTRC), is to assist individuals seeking to further their education in careers in construction. To be eligible, applicants must be applying to or attending a trade school, college or university program that is directly related to a construction career. This includes skilled trades, engineering, architecture, and construction management. Students are evaluated on recommendations, academic achievement, initiative, written essay and community and extra-curricular activities.
“It’s exciting to see such great interest in pursuing construction careers.” said Stephanie Larkin, Vice President of Education, Safety & Workforce Development, ABC Keystone. “This year we received more than 60 applications. With an aging workforce and difficulty attracting young people, the construction industry faces the reality of a workforce shortage, yet this year’s recipients are proof that there is some excellent talent in the pipeline. These scholarships are just one of the ways ABC Keystone members support efforts to develop the future of the construction industry.”
This year’s recipients are as follows, along with their hometowns and courses of study:
| Last Name | First Name | Hometown | State | Major | Award |
| Kinzer | Tracy | Hagerstown | MD | Civil Engineering | $2,500 |
| Cowart | Jon | Kennett Square | PA | Industrial/Commercial Electrical Engineering | $1,400 |
| Harris | Mickayla | Lititz | PA | Mechanical Engineering | $1,400 |
| Kline | Andrew | Oley | PA | Civil Engineering or Architectural Engineering | $1,400 |
| Tobey | Dylan | Lititz | PA | Mechanical Engineering | $1,400 |
| Grassel | Trevor | Conestoga | PA | HVAC | $1,250 |
| Grim | Cory | East Berlin | PA | Building Automation Technology | $1,250 |
| Stein | Cheyenne | Orwigsburg | PA | Residential Construction | $1,250 |
| Zeiders | Matthew | York | PA | Civil Engineering | $1,250 |
| Gerhart | Kayla | East Earl | PA | Residential Construction Management | $1,000 |
| Snavely | Cole | Lititz | PA | Architecture | $1,000 |
| Stouffer | Jacob | Chambersburg | PA | Construction Management | $1,000 |
| Tomczak | Owen | West Reading | PA | HVAC | $1,000 |
| Cooper | Brayden | Harrisburg | PA | Electrical Construction | $750 |
| Heckman | Boyd | Duncannon | PA | Building Construction Technology/Concrete Science | $750 |
| Sisco | Arik | Hershey | PA | Welding & Metal Fabrication | $750 |
| Snavely | Carter | Lititz | PA | Architectural Technology | $750 |
| Varela | Romeo | Lebanon | PA | HVAC | $750 |
Individual photos may be available upon request.
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The Merit Shop Training and Research Center, established by Associated Builders & Contractors, Keystone Chapter (ABC Keystone), is a non-profit fund whose mission is to provide financial assistance to students who have chosen construction-related career paths. The Center is funded by members of the Chapter, who have taken upon themselves the responsibility to be proactive in assisting men and women in their preparation for the construction industry.
