SC&R Foundation Awards $36,400 For Nine Scholarships and Three Grants

(CENTREVILLE, Va.) June 23, 2015 – The SC&R Foundation has awarded $27,000 in scholarships for 2015-2016 to nine students preparing for careers related to the crane, rigging and specialized transportation industry. Additionally, the Foundation awarded grants totaling $9,400 to three employees at SC&RA member companies wishing to further their careers through continuing education courses or a vocational/technical college program. An additional $33,000 for grants remains to be awarded this year. Since 1986, the SC&R Foundation has awarded over $430,000 in scholarships and grants.

In alphabetical order, this year’s $3,000 scholarship recipients are Caleb Brack, Jonathan Caldwell, Alexandra Capozzi, Jobie Debrick, Spencer Lynds, Samson Meyer, Lee Rucker, Jamal Shaheen and Alison Tuft.

 

  • Caleb Brack, a three-time SC&R Foundation Scholarship recipient, is a Civil Engineering major at The Citadel, Charleston, S.C., who plans to graduate in May 2016. His father, Luther Brack, Jr., is Manager of Heavy Iron Cranes, Lexington, S.C. Additionally, Caleb was employed during the summer of 2014 by Southway Crane & Rigging, Lexington, S.C., and in the summer of 2013 by J.E. Oswalt & Sons, Batesburg, S.C. He is the recipient of the Southern Industrial/Southern Crane Continuing Education Scholarship.
  • Jonathan Caldwell, a repeat SC&R Foundation Scholarship recipient, plans to earn a Master of Engineering degree in Construction Engineering Management at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in May 2016. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla., in August 2010. Jonathan is a Draftsman/Engineer in Training at the AmQuip Crane Rental, LLC offices in Birmingham, Ala. AmQuip has announced it will match the Foundation’s scholarship, providing an additional $3,000 for the furtherance of Jonathan’s education. He is the recipient of the Terex Continuing Education Scholarship.
  • Alexandra Capozzi is a recent graduate of Villa Joseph Mari High School, Holland, Pa., who plans to attend St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pa., and pursue a degree in Business/Marketing . Her father, Anthony Capozzi, is an Operating Engineer/Crane Operator at Thackray Crane Rentals, Philadelphia, Pa. She worked during the summer of 2014 at A. Mastrocco Jr. Moving and Storage, Warminster, Pa, where her responsibilities included basic accounting, filing/faxing, receptions, and assisting with payroll data.
  • Jobie Debrick is majoring in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., where he expects to earn a Bachelor’s degree in December 2016. He also received an SC&R Foundation Scholarship in 2012. His father, Kevin Debrick, is President of Debrick Truck Line, Paola, Kan. He served as a full-time intern at Debrick Truck Line as a third-generation employee of the family business during the summer of 2014. He is the recipient of the NBIS Continuing Education Scholarship.
  • Spencer Lynds is majoring in Civil/Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, where he expects to earn a Bachelor’s degree in the spring of 2018. His father, Howard Lynds, is Equipment Manager at Cianbro, Pittsfield, Maine. Spencer served a full-time internship at Cianbro last summer, where he inspected various worksites on Maine Power Reliability Program projects to ensure the environmental permit was followed.
  • Samson Meyer, a four-time SC&R Foundation Scholarship recipient, plans to graduate with a Bachelor degree in Business Administration at the University of Arizona, Tucson, in May 2016. His father, Sam Meyer, is Vice President of Marco Crane and Rigging. Co., Lakeside, Calif., where the scholarship recipient worked 12 hours per week during the school year and 40 hours per week in the summer from November 2008 to June 2012. At Marco, he assisted with day-to-day operations logistics, paperwork and data entry, field operations and miscellaneous tasks as assigned. He is the recipient of the George Bragg Memorial Scholarship.
  • Lee Rucker, an SC&R Foundation Scholarship recipient in 2012, is on track to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Mo., in 2016. His father, James Rucker, is Maintenance Supervisor at Wire Rope Inc., Kansas City, Mo. His sister, Lacey Rucker, was an SC&R Foundation Scholarship recipient in 2014. In addition to being a member of the Lindenwood Trapshooting Gold Team, he has participated in a work study program at the university’s trapshooting office since August 2012. He is the recipient of the Christopher Lorenz Memorial Scholarship.
  • Jamal Shaheen, a repeat winner of an SC&R Foundation Scholarship, is a Senior who plans to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif. He earned an Associate degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences with an emphasis in Science and Math from Santa Barbara (Calif.) City College in May 2013. Since January 2011, he has interned at Specialty Crane & Rigging, Goleta, Calif., where his duties include Yard Supervisor, IT Support, and Accounts Payable and Receivable. He is the recipient of the Bennett International Group Continuing Education Scholarship.
  • Alison Tuft is pursuing a Master of Arts in Communications from the University of Utah, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication in 2010. She is an Executive Assistant with responsibilities for graphic design, marketing and promotions at Mountain Crane Service, Salt Lake City, Utah, and plans to continue working there fulltime while attending graduate school. She is the recipient of the Frank Bardonaro Sr. Memorial Scholarship.

Additionally, the Foundation awarded $9,400 in grants to Ethan Gendreau, Peter Law and Amanda Neadow.

  • Ethan Gendreau has assisted in motor rebuilds, transmissions, rear-end work, brakes, drive train and electrical repair at Green Mountain Kenworth in Shelburne, Vt. since November 2011. He plans to use his grant for Diesel Technician classes at the University of Northwestern Ohio, Lima, Ohio. He is the recipient of the Anderson Trucking Service Continuing Education Grant.
  • Peter Law, an ironworker, welder and field foreman at Raulli & Sons, Inc., Syracuse, New York, since August 1986, wants to further his skills and qualifications by becoming an NCCCO certified mobile crane operator. To that end, he plans to use his grant for coursework at West Coast Training, Woodland, Wash. He is the recipient of the Robert Cookinham Memorial Grant.
  • Amanda Neadow, who has handled a variety of administrative and marketing projects at Corrigan Air & Sea Cargo, Romulus, Mich., since July 2011, plans to use her grant for general business courses at Henry Ford College, Dearborn, Mich. and Wayne State University, Southgate, Mich. She is the recipient of the TNT Crane & Rigging Continuing Education Grant.

Later this year, the Foundation plans to award an additional $33,000 in Grants to recipients who are seeking additional skills to further their career or looking to enter the industry.

The SC&R Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation with the mission to promote and benefit the industry worldwide, through grants, scholarships, research and educational initiatives.

The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) is an international trade association of more than 1,300 members from 46 nations. Members are involved in specialized transportation, machinery moving and erecting, industrial maintenance, millwrighting and crane and rigging operations,

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CONTACT:
Jackie Roskos
Specialized Carriers & Rigging Foundation
P: (703) 698-0291
mailto:jroskos@scranet.org