July 31, 2012—The Women’s Industry Network has awarded scholarships to attend NACE to the top two female winners at SkillsUSA.
The winners are Jessica Crowley, who placed third in the automotive refinishing technology category, and Kristina Shaver, the high scorer in the collision repair technology category.
Included in a WIN scholarship are airfare, lodging, expenses, and a full-access NACE expo pass provided by the Automotive Management Institute and ASA. They will be recognized at an awards ceremony, and they will also receive a 2012 WIN membership.
Crowley is from Boise, Idaho, and when she graduated in 2012, she began as the lead commercial painter for Wrecker Sales in Mountain Home, Idaho.
“It’s the people I have met along the way that have made this never-ending journey rewarding,” she said. “I wake up every morning with the question of what I can do for someone else, and this attitude is what has propelled this trouble maker to turn it all around and have a fulfilling career in the automotive industry.”
Shaver is from Birch Run, Mich., and is a second-year collision repair student at Baker College in Flint, Mich.
“I have loved cars and working on them my whole life,” she said. “As much as auto body repair is about returning vehicles to given specifications, it’s also an art form.”
“The WIN NACE scholarship goes to the heart of WIN’s mission to support and encourage women who are entering the industry, particularly those in the technical ranks,” said Teresa Bolton, director of collision repair test development at ASE, who also serves as WIN’s scholarship co-chairwoman and treasurer. “Surrounded by our amazing WIN members, this scholarship has consistently been a wonderful way to introduce young women to the collision industry.”