The NRF Foundation supports the next generation by offering $125,000 in scholarships.
As a part of its Next Generation Scholarship program, the NRF Foundation will soon award $125,000 in scholarships to 25 outstanding students. The top five finalists have been identified, and these finalists will interview with a panel of executive judges to determine the four $10,000 scholarship recipients and the top $25,000 recipient of the Next Generation Scholarship.
The top recipient will be revealed on stage in front of hundreds of retail CEOs and retail insiders at the NRF Foundation Gala in New York City on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016.
The five finalists for the 2016 NRF Next Generation Scholarship are:
- Ashley Biscan, magazine journalism, University of Georgia
- Grace Dusek, marketing, Texas A&M University
- Emma Jumper, corporate finance, Mississippi State University
- Macaira O’Connell, apparel merchandising, Indiana University
- Rachel Weinstein, retailing and consumer sciences, The University of Arizona
“The hard work and passion that we see from students each and every day is a clear indicator that these motivated young leaders are already well on their way to shaping retail’s future,” NRF senior vice president and NRF foundation executive director Ellen Davis said. “All of the applicants for the Next Generation Scholarship exhibit the enthusiasm and eagerness we look for when awarding our scholarships, so there’s no question the decision to narrow it down to just five was extremely difficult.”
“We are positive the retail industry will benefit greatly from the energy and inspiration that all of the scholarship recipients offer, and we look forward to seeing great things from them in the years to come,” continued Davis.
In addition to the five finalists, the NRF Foundation awards all 20 students named as semi-finalists with travel scholarships to attend the NRF Student Program at Retail’s BIG Show and the NRF Foundation’s Gala.
Hundreds of students are expected to attend Retail’s BIG Show Student Program on Jan. 15 – 16, 2016, which puts students in a room with executives behind the retail industry’s most popular brands such as Nike, Blue Mercury, Williams-Sonoma Inc. and HSNi. Students will learn to leverage their networks to advance their careers and hear from retail recruiters offering opportunities for internships, training programs and entry-level career positions.
The NRF Foundation shapes retail’s future by building awareness of the industry through statistics and stories, developing talent through education, experiences and scholarships and fostering career growth among people who work in retail. The NRF Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the National Retail Federation and is funded in part by generous donations from retail industry supporters.