We all know the importance of a well-educated workforce and the c-store landscape is certainly no exception. Among the many pieces of NAG’s core mission is to help cultivate and groom the convenience store leaders of tomorrow. The National Advisory Group (NAG) scholarship fund was developed to help qualified students offset some of the costs of a higher education.
In keeping with that theme, NAG and the Young Executives Organization (YEO) created the scholarship fund for employees and children of NAG member companies. The 2020 NAG Scholarship has been renamed in honor of two members of the NAG family who passed away in 2019, Lana McMullen and Aubrey Ketchum.
Lana McMullen was the wife of Weigel’s CEO Ken McMullen for 53 years. She passed away in September 2019 at the age of 71. In addition to Ken, Lana is survived by daughters, Melinda Sharp and Husband Terry, and Carrie Robertson; grandchildren Jacob Sharp, Cooper Sharp, and Avery Robertson; brother, John Powell and his wife Tina; and neices Kirby Roads and Samantha Buehler.
Aubrey Ketchum passed away on her 44th birthday on Aug. 18, 2019, from a sudden and unexpected brain aneurysm. She was the eldest child of Jonathan Ketchum, the vice president of retail at Energy North Group, and his wife Kristina Ketchum. Aubrey’s husband, Gene Childers, is also the IT Manager for Delek US. Aubrey and Gene were married for nine years and lived in Smyrna, Tenn.
In showing our appreciation for NAG’s and YEO’s ongoing support of higher education, the 2020 awards will be given in Lana and Aubrey’s honor. Here’s a quick look at the program’s particulars:
The Program
The NAG Scholarship Fund is managed by the NAG Board of Directors, CStore Decisions and Scholarship America, and sponsored by the retailer and supplier members of NAG. This program was started in the late 1990s and has distributed more than 95 scholarships totaling more than $115,000 to deserving students. The fund is financed through annual dues collections by NAG members and drives from golf outings and conference sponsorship allocations.
Download a PDF of the 2020 NAG Scholarship application now.
Eligibility
Applicants who work in the c-store industry must be employees or children of employees who have a minimum of one-year employment with a NAG member company. Applicants must plan to enroll in a full- or part-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school. Applicants who are current students or who have attended school within the past three years must have maintained a minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
The Awards
Due to the generous contributions of NAG’s dues-paying members, we have increased the number of winners to five and have a healthy scholarship fund to ensure the college-age children of NAG member companies will receive financial assistance to pursue their goals of becoming the leaders of tomorrow. The program utilizes standard Scholarship America recipient selection procedures, including past academic performance and future potential, leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience and an outside appraisal.
This year, five awards of $1,000 will be granted. Awards are not renewable, though students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements. Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2020.
I hope you’re able to take advantage of this program by becoming a member of NAG. For more information on both the scholarship and the association, please visit www.nagconvenience.com. And please be sure to mark your calendar for the 2020 NAG Conference in Charlotte, Sept. 13-16.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at (201) 321-5642 or via email at [email protected]. For information about Scholarship America, contact program manager Rita Gibbs at [email protected] or (507) 931-0542.