CLEVELAND, August 15 — Fourteen BLET families were winners of scholarships from the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund for the 2014-15 academic year, including three top level $10,000 recipients.
The $10,000 awards are renewed on an annual basis. The $1,000 awards are one-time, non-renewable scholarships.
Winners of the $10,000 scholarships are:
• Cody Brown, son of Tommy M. Horn of BLET Division 206 (Temple, Texas), a BNSF engineer;
• Katelyn Buffett, daughter of Eric R. Buffett of BLET Division 435 (Hamlet, N.C.), a CSX engineer; and
• Jacob Mathis, son of Paul J. Mathis of BLET Division 206 (Temple, Texas), a BNSF engineer.
Winners of $1,000 scholarships are:
• Logan Barnett, son of D.L. Barnett of BLET Division 511 (Portsmouth, Ohio), a Norfolk Southern engineer;
• Monica Tarnawski, daughter of Paul Tarnawski of BLET Division 171 (Hoboken, N.J.), a New Jersey Transit engineer;
• Alec Estes, son of David P. Estes of BLET Division 60 (Seattle, Wash.), an Amtrak engineer. Brother Estes is Secretary-Treasurer of the Amtrak General Committee of Adjustment and Local Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of Division 60;
• William Guffy, son of Timothy N. Williamson of BLET Division 858 (Pine Bluff, Ark.), a Union Pacific engineer;
• Ian Hutton, son of Thomas W. Hutton of BLET Division 171 (Hoboken, N.J.), a New Jersey Transit engineer;
• Whitney Ledford, daughter of Martin E. Ledford of BLET Division 781 (Erwin, Tenn.), a CSX engineer;
• Zachary Martin, son of T.E. Martin, Secretary-Treasurer of BLET Division 122 (Port Huron, Mich.), a Grand Trunk Western engineer;
• Sean Penfield, son of Brian J. Penfield, Local Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of BLET Division 659 (Buffalo, N.Y.), a Norfolk Southern engineer;
• Angelica Previte, daughter of Peter J. Previte, Local Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of BLET Division 136 (Ogden, Utah), a Union Pacific engineer;
• Dylan Scalzo, son of Michael J. Scalzo of BLET Division 692 (Tracy, Calif.), a Union Pacific engineer; and
• Kerry Smith, daughter of Thomas P. Smith of BLET Division 71 (Philadelphia, Pa.), a SEPTA engineer.
About the scholarships
The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund awards scholarships annually to outstanding high school seniors. The application deadline is usually March 31 each year. Recipients are selected by an impartial committee of university admissions and financial aid directors based on academic achievement, SAT/ACT scores, character, potential and financial need. The Teamsters consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, gender, disability, or any other legally protected status. For more information, please visit the Teamsters website.
Applications are currently being accepted for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund Essay Contest. Applications and essays are due on September 30, 2014. Visit the BLET website for more details.