PSI Announces 2019 Scholarship Winners

Annual Academic Scholarship Program

For the second year in a row, the PSI Chapter selected eight college-bound students as winners in its annual academic scholarship program. Each student will receive $2,000 to apply toward tuition at any regionally accredited two-year or four-year post-secondary school for the 2019-2020 academic year.

This year’s scholarship winners, along with their sponsoring ISRI/PSI Chapter member company and the school they will attend, are as follows:

Declan Blair, WestRock (Norcross, Ga.); Kennesaw State University (Marietta, Ga., campus).

Pictured: Blair with mother Carolyn Blair, HR director.

Rebecca Bordelon, Graphic Packaging International (West Monroe, La.); Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.).

Pictured: Bordelon with father Kevin Bordelon, process control engineer; Michel Sussman, mill manager; and Joe Barron, HR manager.

Amber Keomany, Graphic Packaging International (Fort Smith, Ark.); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Little Rock, Ark.)

Pictured: Keomany with Sonny Oliver, Fort Smith plant manager, and mother Philaphone Joy Rojas, continuous improvement assistant.

Fernanda Montoya, Midland Davis Corp. (Moline, Ill.); Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Ill.).

Pictured: Montoya with father Fernando Montoya, crane operator/yard supervisor, and Sofia Montoya, office staff.

Madison Nyhuis, PADNOS (Holland, Mich.); Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Pictured: Nyhuis with father Scott Nyhuis, account coordinator.

Julian Saldana, WestRock (Fresno, Calif.); University of California San Diego (La Jolla, Calif.).

Pictured: Saldana with mother Mabel Ochoa, customer service representative.

Heidi Westra, Resource Management Co. (Chicago Ridge, Ill.); Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Mich.).

Pictured: Westra with father Dan Westra, VP of operations and logistics.

Emily Woodin, Graphic Packaging International (Kalamazoo, Mich.); Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Mich.).

Pictured: Woodin with father Dale Woodin, systems control.

How To Apply for Next Year

To apply for a PSI Chapter scholarship, applicants must have a C+ average or better in high school, meet all admission qualifications at the two-year or four-year post-secondary school of their choice, and be a dependent of an individual who has been employed for at least one year by a company that is a current active member of ISRI and the PSI Chapter. The employee must work in the recycling division of the member company, and the applicant cannot be a dependent of a company officer or principal.

In addition to completing a PSI Chapter scholarship application, applicants must submit an official transcript of their high school grades, SAT and/or ACT scores, two letters of recommendation, a résumé of their personal history, and a one-page essay.

The PSI Chapter supports its academic scholarships through raffles, donations, and an annual fundraising bowling tournament, with the next one scheduled for Oct. 23, 2019, from 8 to 11 p.m., at Lucky Strike Chicago. The tournament will be held in conjunction with the MRF Operations Forum (Oct. 21-22) and the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference (Oct. 23-25), which the PSI Chapter co-sponsors with Recycling Today Media Group.

Disbursements for the PSI Chapter scholarships are made through the Recycling Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization closely associated with ISRI.

For more information on the PSI Chapter scholarship program and this year’s winners, contact Nini Krever at (561) 459-8008 or nktraders@tradersintl.net.