Gadsden State students earn more AAMA scholarships than any other Alabama college
Gadsden, Ala. — Gadsden State Community College has more recipients of the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association Scholarship than any other institution in the Alabama Community College System.
“We are so proud to have 16 students at Gadsden State to receive the AAMA scholarship,” said Dr. Kathy Murphy, college president. “I’m confident that all of these students will complete their education and training at Gadsden State and will move on to rewarding careers in the automotive industry.”
The AAMA partnered with ACCS to provide scholarships and mentors to students pursuing an associate degree or a technical education certificate in the automotive industry. Scholarships must be used to earn a credential in one of the following 15 declared majors of study: Advanced Manufacturing Technology; Auto Collision Repair Technology; Automotive Manufacturing Technology; Automotive Service Technology; Computer Numerical Control; Electrical Technology; Engineering Technology; Industrial Electronics Technology; Industrial Maintenance Technology; Injection Molding; Logistics; Precision Machining; Mechanical Design Technology; Mechatronics and Welding Technology.
“Alabama has a robust and growing automotive industry that requires skilled and knowledgeable employees,” said Alan Smith, dean of Workforce Development at Gadsden State. “We have the wonderful privilege of providing skilled training to some of those employees. When these students graduate from Gadsden State, they are pretty much guaranteed a job.”
According to Made in Alabama, the official website for the Alabama Department of Commerce, over 1 million cars are manufactured in Alabama each year in addition to nearly twice as many engines and countless parts that are sent to manufacturing customers across the globe. Employment in Alabama’s auto industry has increased by 150 percent since 2000.
“The automotive industry has given the economy of our state a huge boost while also enriching the lives of its employees and their families,” he said. “I think we will continue to see growth in the industry as Gadsden State and its sister colleges provide advanced training for employees who work at the highest levels.”
Gadsden State students who have earned a scholarship from AAMA by major include:
Engineering Technology – Alissa Brianne Bearden, Tyler Keith Burnett, and Julio Najera
Industrial Automation – Jeremy Beck
Industrial Maintenance Technology – Seth Andrew Hill
Mechatronics – Logan Blake McLeroy and Timothy Lane Watkins
Automated Manufacturing Technology – Christopher George Curry, Mason Sage Finch, and Joshua Garrett Strickland
FAME/Industrial Maintenance Technology – Luke Davide Devin, Lawrence Tyler Odell Smith, and Jakeb Thomas Grayson Mintz
FAME / Manufacturing Technology – Joby Dobbs
FAME – Porter Roberts Embry
Precision Machining – Joshua Pritchard
The scholarship covers up to $3,600 of tuition, fees, and books associated with the approved program of study.