Charlie Dorn is focused on his post-college career, even if he doesn’t know where exactly his computer engineering degree from Grand Valley State University will take him.
“I really like automotive in general, but I’m not sure what industry within that [to focus on], but I want to stick with that [sector],” he told Truckloadindexes.com.
Dorn is like many college students, and with just over one year left in school, he will soon begin to explore his career options. Having entered the five-year program at Grand Valley State with a focus on chemical engineering, Dorn eventually tested out mechanical engineering before settling on software engineering.
“There is a lot of opportunity for rapid technology [development],” he said.
To help with his college costs, Dorn had applied for a Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) scholarship. The son of an industry figure (his father works in sales for SAF Holland), Dorn had the opportunity to apply for a TCA Scholarship Fund scholarship for the 2019-2020 school year. He was one of 50 students awarded one. In total, the fund awarded over $150,000 in total support.
Dorn was the recipient of the Thomas Welby Scholarship, worth $3,250.
“I think it really helped with piece of mind knowing that there was some external help so I didn’t have to worry about paying for everything for school myself,” he said. “It helped me to focus on my education rather than how I was going to pay for it.”
Applications for the 2020-2021 scholarship year are now open. The fund awards up to $6,250 per year, per full-time college student. To qualify for the program, a student must be in good academic standing with a minimum 3.0 grade point average, and be attending an accredited, four-year college or university as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.
For more information on the scholarship program, go to www.truckload.org/scholarships. Deadline to apply is July 10, 2020.
Dorn said he has been around the trucking industry for a number of years and because of his father, has helped out with several industry events, including the Michigan SuperTech program in 2017. For now, he’s focused on finishing his college education, which has included a co-op working program where he spent three semesters working for Gentex Corporation. Gentex is a supplier of rear-view vision-based mirror systems.
Like Dorn, Cameron Dober received a TCA scholarship, being awarded the Robert Low Scholarship.
“TCA helped my family by offering a truly merit-based scholarship. Though my parents were employed, they were also putting three kids through college so this scholarship was such a weight lifted,” Dober, who attended Georgia Tech University, said.
“My third and final year at Georgia Tech was filled with joy and memories,” Dober added. “My classes were accounting-focused so I could ace my CPA exams in the fall. My life was full of music and choirs. The Robert Low scholarship gave me the freedom to truly enjoy my senior year without the added stress of a part-time job to pay the bills.”
The TCA Scholarship Fund is designed to provide financial assistance to the children, grandchildren or spouses of an employee or an employee of a TCA member company or an independent contractor affiliated with a TCA member company, or that individual’s child, grandchild, or spouse.
Megan Baumhover was the recipient of the John Kaburick Scholarship.
“The John Kaburick TCA Scholarship has allowed me to attend college out of state at Indiana University,” Baumhover said. “Indiana was my top choice of college because I knew it provided a top tier education within the Kelley School of Business which has opened many doors for me. Through the vast alumni network, I have been able to secure two internships within the financial services industry and look forward to pursuing a career in investment banking after graduation. I firmly believe that without having the financial ability to attend Indiana University, I would not have had these same opportunities.”
Dorn, Dober and Baumhover are just three of the many recipients of the program over the years. Started in 1973, the fund has awarded scholarships in the range of $2,725 up to $6,250. Seven scholarships are named after dedicated members, affiliates and past TCA chairmen. The top award is named after the National Association of Independent Truckers.
