Book Industry Charitable Foundation Awards 53 Scholarships

On Tuesday, the Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation announced the winners of its 2014 Higher Education Scholarships, including one $10,000 winner and 22 $3,500 winners from ABA member stores. Overall, the program awarded two scholarships at the $10,000 level and 51 scholarships at the $3,500 level to eligible bookstore employees/owners and their dependents as well as former Borders Group employees and their dependents.

“We are thrilled to continue to provide scholarships to bookstore employees and their dependents, especially given the challenges of funding a college education,” said Binc Executive Director Pam French. “Once again the candidates, from across the country, were impressive. We are proud and fortunate to help 53 of them achieve their educational dreams.”

The awards, which total $198,500, may be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and room and board. Funds may also be used over consecutive years if the student is not able to use the entire award for the 2014 – 2015 academic year.

The 23 recipients associated with ABA member stores are:

$10,000 winner

• Brittany Parker, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vermont

$3,500 winners

• Kristina Bellock, Cellar Door Books, Riverside, California
• Nicolas Bordine, Lowry’s Books and More, Three Rivers, Michigan
• Heather Brooks, Waucoma Bookstore, Hood River, Oregon
• McKenzie Carnahan, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newton Highlands, Massachusetts
• Jeremy Clifford, Peregrine Book Company, Prescott, Arizona
• Amber Collins, Bank of Books, Malibu, California
• Martha Cornwell, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vermont
• Christina Czuhajewski, Bookbug, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Lane Jacobson, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Merrill Mechler-Hickson, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Klare Nevins, MainStreet BookEnds, Warner, New Hampshire
• Susanna Oswell, MSU Bookstore, Bozeman, Montana
• Carrianne Peterson, MSU Bookstore, Bozeman, Montana
• Rachel Rattenborg, Dragonfly Books, Decorah, Iowa
• Meghan Roegge, Chapter 2 Books, Hudson, Wisconsin
• Rachel Roepke, Park Road Books, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Rachel Sargent, Ukazoo Books, Towson, Michigan
• James Schildknecht, Rediscovered Bookshop, Boise, Idaho
• Jes Scribner, Bank Square Books, Mystic, Connecticut
• Charles Shotton, Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books, Duck, North Carolina
• Rasha Soliman, Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena, California
• Laura Swanson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The complete list of winners can be accessed here.

A third-party academic selection process conducted by Scholarship Management Services (SMS) evaluated scholarship recipients. Selection criteria included financial need, prior academic success, leadership capabilities, participation in school and community activities, work experience, and career aspirations.

The recipients were chosen from a pool of 155 applicants. Those students just entering college had an average high school GPA of 3.79. Students continuing their education had an average collegiate GPA of 3.65.

Information about how booksellers can apply for the 2015 Scholarship Program will be released in spring 2015 at bincfoundation.org.