Defraying The Cost Of College
PPEF scholarships help students soar
Studies regularly show that having a college degree can land you a higher salary, better benefits and more open doors than just a high school diploma. But college costs have skyrocketed over the past few decades and don’t appear to be leveling off any time soon—if ever. With stagnant median incomes, $60,000 sticker prices at elite, private four-year colleges, and in-state costs averaging nearly $19,000 at public four-year colleges last year, students are scrambling for scholarships to help them foot the bill for a bachelor’s degree.
This is where the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF) comes in. Funded by PPAI and donations from the promotional products industry, the Foundation provides college scholarships to students with a parent in the industry, and to industry professionals themselves. Since 1989, the foundation has been making a college degree more affordable, with $1,417,000 in scholarships awarded to date. Earlier this year, PPEF distributed $150,000 in scholarships to 77 new and 29 renewal recipients, the highest dollar amount ever awarded in a given year.
“We are proud to have increased our scholarship awards by $25,000 in 2015,” says Patricia Dugan, MAS, PPEF Chair. “To underscore our commitment to students with the greatest financial need, PPEF made a major change this year by awarding larger payments to need-based recipients than merit recipients. Need-based Four-Year Scholarship winners will receive $8,000 over four years while the merit winners receive $4,000 over four years. Need-based One-Year Scholarship winners will receive a $2,000 one-time payment while the merit winners will receive $1,000. While, unfortunately, we can’t offer scholarships to all deserving students in the industry, we thank all of our sustaining donors, sponsors, supporters and friends of PPEF whose efforts and generosity make college a reality for many bright and motivated students who otherwise might not have that opportunity.”
The deadline for 2016 scholarships is March 15, 2016. Scholarships are available to full-time promotional products industry employees or their dependent children and applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to apply. Find more requirements and the application at www.ppef.us.
PPEF is proud to announce the following 2015 scholarship winners:
Chairman’s Scholarship Winners
$5,000
Arthur Morgan of Los Angeles, California, son of Frederique Mary, Wine-n-Gear—University of California, Los Angeles
Lauren Nessler of North Mankato, Minnesota, daughter of Dan Nessler, Promotions Powerhouse—University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Friends of PPMN Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Jessica Gibbons-Rauch of Winfield, Illinois, Concord Marketing Solutions—Northern Illinois University
Vincent J. Arena Scholarship Winner
$1,000
John Ebersold of Downers Grove, Illinois, son of Kent Ebersold, Ebersold, Inc.—University of Alabama
Castelli N.A. Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Lyndee Mansfield, daughter of Jo Colonius, Think Tank Studio—University of Florida
Eugene P. Cesario Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Andrew Kaiser of Chesterfield, Missouri, son of David Kaiser, Universal Creative Concepts—University of Missouri
Gauger Family Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Benjamin Wallace of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, son of Gerald Wallace, Premiums, Promotions & Imports, Inc.—Indiana University-Bloomington
Glen Holt Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Joseph Toomb of Mason, Ohio, son of Matty Toomb, Public Identity—University of South Carolina
Helen & Al Mackler and Joseph Alexander Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Noah Berkowitz of Devon, Pennsylvania, son of Naomi Berkowitz, Picnic Plus by Spectrum—Washington University
George C. Matteson Jr. Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Madison DeWinter of Parker, Colorado, daughter of Mark DeWinter, Comich, Inc.—University of Colorado
Janelle Nevins Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Joshua Bice of Tyler, Texas, son of Stefanie Bice, In Pursuit Promotions—University of Alabama
NWPMA Success Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Reid Jahns of Markesan, Wisconsin, son of Joel Jahns, SanMar—Milwaukee School of Engineering
H. Ted Olson Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Nicholas Holmes of Littleton, Colorado, son of Stephen Holmes, 4Impact, Inc.—Brigham Young University
PPAChicago Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Brittany Williford of Elmwood Park, Illinois, daughter of Beverly Rehor, Summit Group, LLC—Robert Morris University
Sam Rosenblum Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Rebecca Elowe of Northbrook, Illinois, daughter of Judy Elowe, Creative Promotional Products—Northwestern University
Marvin Spike Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Abigail Alexis of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, daughter of Gary Alexis, Advertising Specialty Institute—Saint Joseph’s University
H.D. Joe Stratton Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Meghan Barrett of Penfield, New York, daughter of Anne Zimmer, SailorBags—State University of New York at Geneseo
Three Rivers Advertising Specialty Association Scholarship Winner
$1,000
Cassandra Swift of Fargo, North Dakota, daughter of Alicia Swift, BIC Graphic—North Dakota State University
Four-Year Scholarship Winners
$4,000 or $8,000, awarded annually for four years
Joseph T. Adducci of Colorado Springs, Colorado, son of Joe Adducci, Pikes Peak Recognition, LLC—Pepperdine University
Victoria Adesso, daughter of Carl Adesso, Now Promotions—University of South Florida
Natalie Anderson of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, daughter of Kristy Anderson, Personalized Awards—Wisconsin Lutheran College
Jeffery Andrade of Chandler, Arizona, son of Rebecca Wilson-Andrade, Extremes, LLC—Harvard University
Hannah Cape of Montgomery, Alabama, daughter of Karen Cape, Brand Ideas—Auburn University
Joseph “Tommy” Clark of Suwanee, Georgia, son of Joseph L. Clark, eCompany Store—Georgia Tech
Mary Duncan of Olathe, Kansas, daughter of Grant Hunget, J. Wilbur Company—University of Kansas
Steven Fisk of Stockbridge, Georgia, son of Christopher Fisk, L&L Advertising—Georgia Southern University
Kelly Navickas of Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, daughter of Anthony Navickas, A & L Graphics—Wellesley College
Jamie Ostrowski of Belleville, Michigan, daughter of Connie Ostrowski, C & C Embroidery—University of Michigan
One-Year Scholarship Winners
$1,000 or $2,000
Elizabeth Ahern of Corte Madera, California, daughter of Daniel Ahern, Proforma Albrecht and Company—Amherst College
Steven Andersen of Center Line, Michigan, son of John Andersen, MAS, Philip J. Sibinski, Inc.—Ferris State University
Bailey Anderson of McCordsville, Indiana, daughter of Melissa Anderson, Ink Trax Promotional Solutions—University of Southern Indiana
Cierra Arguijo of San Antonio, Texas, daughter of Leigh Arguijo, Badgeman Promotional Products—University of Texas-Austin
Austin Barton of Jacksonville, Florida, son of Gay Barton, Geiger—University of Florida
Madeline Bayne of Kansas City, Missouri, daughter of Timothy Bayne, Stouse, Inc.—University of Central Missouri
Rachel Brown of Franklin, Virginia, daughter of Vicki Brown, Heave Ho Promos—James Madison University
Isaiah Cameron-Murray of Amsterdam, New York, son of Alecia Mundle, Amsterdam Printing—Siena College
Anthony Carson of Midlothian, Virginia, son of Randall Carson, Ukrop’s Dress Express—University of South Carolina
Jia Yi Chen of Quincy, Massachusetts, daughter of Shu Xian Zhen, Hub Pen Company—University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Matthew Chen of Oak Park, California, son of Wil Chen, Solo Graphics—University of Southern California
Emily Claps of Lake Barrington, Illinois, daughter of Philip Claps, KC Printing Services—University of Notre Dame
Maxwell DeBlasio of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, son of Jason T. Miller, JFM Industries—Penn State University-Erie
Linsey Dome of Laguna Hills, California, daughter of Dianna McKinsey, Innovative Printing Solutions—California State University-Fullerton
Jonah Gadasi of Canoga Park, California, son of Kory Kugler-Gadasi, Doug Fregolle Promotions—University of California-San Diego
Gabrielle Giacona of New Fairfield, Connecticut, daughter of Michael Giacona, Full Circle Promos—Boston University
Lindsay Hanson of Cumberland, Rhode Island, daughter of Lisa Hanson, Cross—Bryant University
Elaine Hong of South Pasadena, California, daughter of Tina Hong, Nissin Cap—University of California-Davis
Joseph Ketterer of Maineville, Ohio, son of Thomas Ketterer, MAS, The Ketterer Company—Miami University
Alaina King of Stanford, Kentucky, daughter of Norbert King, Wear the Word—Campbellsville University
Caleb King of Stanford, Kentucky, son of Norbert King, Wear the Word—Campbellsville University
Tameeka Lamb of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Selco—Oklahoma State University-Tulsa
Rachel Lefkowitz of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, daughter of Miriam Lefkowitz, M + L Promotions—University of Maryland
Jackson Martin of Boulder, Colorado, son of Don Martin, Bloomin Promotions—University of Denver
Travis McAtee of The Woodlands, Texas, son of Christine McAtee, Insignia Marketing, Inc.—University of Alabama
Caden Meier of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, son of Pamela Jones Meier, PKJones Promos—Washington & Jefferson College
Nathan Miller of North Canton, Ohio, son of Connie Miller, Advertising Specialties and Printing LLC—The Ohio State University
Vincenza Montante of Arlington, Virginia, daughter of Gary Montante, EmbroidMe Alexandria—The College of William & Mary
Emily Nathe of Dade City, Florida, daughter of Jean Nathe, Trade Mark Sales, Inc.—University of Florida
Steven Nessler of North Mankato, Minnesota, son of Dan Nessler, Promotions Powerhouse—Concordia University-St. Paul
Jack Nudelman of Weston, Florida, son of Michel Nudelman, Signal Global Trading—Johns Hopkins University
Jessica Ostrowski of Belleville, Michigan, daughter of Connie Ostrowski, C & C Embroidery, LLC—University of Toledo
Gregory Ottino of Albuquerque, New Mexico, son of Jolou Trujillo-Ottino, HALO Branded Solutions—University of New Mexico
Eric Reisch of Trafford, Pennsylvania, son of Joann Reisch, Nationwide Specialty Advertising—Pennsylvania State University
Carly Reno of Rochester Hills, Michigan, daughter of Michael Reno, KopyRite—Hillsdale College
Aimee Rodin of Clive, Iowa, daughter of Mike & Renee Rodin, Impact—Iowa State University
Domenic Rodriguez of Bridgeton, New Jersey, son of Sandra Rodriguez, D and S Designs—Grove City College
Natalie Saldaña Pueyo of San Juan, Puerto Rico, daughter of Manuel Saldaña Rivera, Ideal Promo Source—University of Puerto Rico
Jennifer Salim of Bay Village, Ohio, daughter of Ron Salim, Madison Graphics—Cleveland State University
Maret “Emma” Sonder of Evanston, Illinois, daughter of Tim Sonder, Innovative Design and Graphics—Allegheny College
Mary “Carlisle” Stelling of Greer, South Carolina, daughter of John Stelling, CAS, Promotional Authority, LLC—University of South Carolina
Haydon Tucker of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, daughter of Andy Tucker, Andrew Thompson Company—Vanderbilt University
Aisha Walker of San Diego, California, daughter of Lori Walker, Goldstar/National Design—Loyola Marymount University
Justin Weilbach of Danville, California, son of Lauren Herbstman, Magic Footprint—University of Washington
Lionel Whitcombe of Davidsonville, Maryland, son of David Gray, American Solutions for Business—Saint Vincent College
Ryan Wilbat of Deerfield, Illinois, son of Cara Chenfeld-Wilbat, GO Promotions—New York University
Sarah Williams of Attleboro, Massachusetts, daughter of Michelle Williams, CAS, Geiger—Northeastern University
Noah Wilson of Springfield, Missouri, daughter of Wayne Wilson, Promoter Advertising—Missouri State University
Madison Young of Tupelo, Mississippi, daughter of Lori T. Young, M N M Logos, Inc.—Mississippi College
Alumni Update
Former 2008 PPEF scholarship winner and 2013 Minnesota School of Business graduate Kate Harthan grew up helping out in the family business—Owatonna, Minnesota-based Corporate Recognition, Inc. (UPIC: CORPREC). Although she began her college career as a music education major, she soon realized that a childhood spent filing industry catalogs, conversing with company managers and handling samples had better prepared her for a business career.
“The scholarship from PPEF helped me jumpstart my education and aided in the various transitions I made to finally end up with an associate’s degree in business and a bachelor’s degree in human resources,” Harthan says.
Now she’s back at Corporate Recognition, Inc. in human resources and accounting roles. “My favorite part of working in the promotional products industry is the variety. All of my training in human resources, management and accounting fits right in. So far, I have organized and expanded our office space, established systems for order management, created an employee handbook and planned our end-user shows, and I am looking forward to continuing to grow this business physically and financially in the coming years.”
From The Thank-You File
"Thank you very much for offering me a Chairman's Scholarship award! This gift will greatly reduce the financial burden of college for me and my family. We are grateful to PPEF's donors for the support. I thoroughly enjoyed my first two years at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the Carlson School of Management. My classroom experiences and involvement with the student group Women in Business have sparked my interest in pursuing a marketing profession."—Lauren Nessler, Chairman's Scholarship 2015-2016
"I would like to extend my gratitude for your gracious gift. This scholarship means a lot to me since I have grown up in the essence of business and promotional products. As a young child, I'd try to "help" my parents in their office by providing "artwork" or poorly drawn scribbles. As I grew older, I was given the opportunity to go to promotional conventions and I saw my dad in action, advertising his business to fellow businesspeople as well as ogling over shiny new samples. Now, as a teenager blossoming into adulthood, I take these memories and the lessons I’ve learned with me as I cross over into our society’s work force and the real world. Through the realm of promotional products I’ve learned politeness, teamwork, discipline, customer service, and charity, all of which will aid me in my future career endeavors.”—Victoria Adesso, Four-Year Scholarship 2015-2018
"I am very honored to have been selected as a recipient of a PPEF Scholarship. I am planning to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology and major in mechanical engineering. I am very excited for the many opportunities which await me at the school of my dreams, and I can't wait to get started. The high cost of attending any college is a concern, but my family also must pay for alternative schooling for my disabled sister. Thanks to your support, we will not have to worry so much about rising tuition and housing costs. The financial support you have pledged will be of great help to me in paying for my education, and will allow me to concentrate on surviving the demanding environment of Georgia Tech. Thank you again for your generous contribution to the Promotional Products Education Foundation. I am very grateful to have been awarded this honor. I hope that one day I will be able to help others accomplish their education goals just as you have helped me achieve mine.”—Joseph "Tommy" Clark, Four-Year Scholarship 2015-2018
“Thank you for awarding me the Glen Holt Scholarship for 2015. I have decided to attend the Honors Program at the University of South Carolina. I was selected as one of 14 students to be part of the International Business and Chinese Enterprise track. I plan on studying global supply chain and operations and believe that my Mandarin language skill will be an asset when it is time to join the workforce.”—Joseph Toomb, Glen Holt Scholarship 2015
“Thank you very much for the scholarship. I am looking forward to my course of study in graphic arts. As promotional products are an interest of mine, this scholarship is especially meaningful coming from PPEF. I will be seeking an internship in the promotional products field and I am certain that this will be a prestigious addition to my resume.”—Steven Andersen, One-Year Scholarship 2015
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Board of PPEF and everyone who contributed to the foundation. Everyone knows that college is very expensive and I really appreciate this award, which will help ease the financial burden of paying for this first year of college. I am excited to begin my college studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where I plan to study business and marketing. My goal and my dream have been to become the fifth generation of Ketterers working in the promotional advertising industry. I’ve grown up hearing stories about the industry and have built up a desire to help clients use logo items to tell their message. My parents have told me that when I was a little kid, they used to say that maybe I’d one day want to work in the industry. This scholarship will help me do that. Thank you again.”—Joseph Ketterer, One-Year Scholarship 2015
“I want to say thank you for your generosity in giving to PPEF. Without your support many young people wouldn’t get scholarships that are greatly needed. I am entering my junior year of college and it is beginning to be a financial burden on me because my family can’t afford to help. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to be able to afford to finish school. This scholarship has changed all of that. This scholarship will make it easier for me to focus on making the most of my education instead of worrying about finances.”—Caleb King, One-Year Scholarship 2015
“I want to thank all of the donors for awarding me this scholarship. I am very appreciative to be receiving this scholarship. Being raised by a hardworking single mother, I know the value of money more than most young men my age, and I am truly grateful to be awarded this scholarship and will make sure that the money is used wisely.”—Caden Meier, One-Year Scholarship 2015
“My dad has been working in the promotional products industry for around 20 years and his strong work ethic has inspired me. PPEF and its generous donors along with my dad’s dedication and passion for the promotional products industry will help me further my education and explore my passions as well. This scholarship means so much to my family and we really appreciate your kindness and compassion.”—Carly Reno, One-Year Scholarship 2015
“Thank you so much for this generous scholarship. It has been my life-long goal to attend college and your donations have made this goal much more attainable. I am looking forward to putting this scholarship to good use this coming fall and plan on getting as much out of college as possible. When classes give me difficulty and I feel like it would be much easier to just give up, I will keep your confidence of my success and your kind donation in mind. I will remember the fact that you chose me out of the pool of applicants to reward me for my hard work and I will strive to make you proud of my successes and dedication to my university.”—Aimee Rodin, One-Year Scholarship 2015
“Words cannot describe my family’s overwhelming gratitude to PPEF for this incredible opportunity. I am both humbled and honored to be a fourth-year recipient of the PPEF One-Year Scholarship. I am optimistic for my final year of undergraduate education. With the support that PPEF has so graciously awarded me, additional tension will be relieved from my need to work, so I may focus on my graduate school applications, as I work to achieve my next goal of earning my Doctorate of Psychology and becoming a clinician, working with minority child and adolescent populations. I would not be where I am today without the generosity of the PPEF donors. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping make my dream of graduating from college as a first-generation student become a reality on May 7, 2016!”—Aisha Walker, One-Year Scholarships 2012-2015
Keep The Scholarships Coming
Donate to PPEF to ensure that more students will be able to go to college in the years to come. It’s easy to contribute online at www.ppef.us.
Julie Richie is an associate editor for PPB.