The Solution Partners supplier division of the American Home Furnishings Alliance has awarded 12 scholarships to students with a parent working full-time in the home furnishings industry.
The $2,500 awards are for the 2022-23 academic year. Eight of the scholarships were presented based on financial need and academic merit. Four were presented based on academic merit alone. It is the only scholarship program in the industry dedicated to helping the students of industry workers.
The scholarship fund is supported by the annual Solution Partners Education Golf Tournament. The 31st annual tournament is slated for September 28, 2022, at Lake Hickory Country Club in Hickory, N.C. More information on the tournament is at www.ahfa.us/events.
The 2022 scholarship winners are: Taylor Cotie, Greensboro, N.C., daughter of Tina Hinshaw, an employee of Legacy Classic Furniture; Madeline de la Parra, Sherman, Conn., daughter of Mary de la Parra, an employee of Ethan Allen; Kirsten Harrison, Morganton, N.C., daughter of Bobby Harrison, an employee of Motioncraft by Sherrill; Valeria Hernandez-Pena, Newton, N.C., daughter of Enrique Hernandez Del-Rio, an employee of Bassett Furniture; Isabella Holloway, Bethlehem, N.C., daughter of Calvin Trull, an employee of McCreary Modern; and Emma Lail, Hickory, N.C., daughter of Eric Lail, an employee of Lee Industries.
Also, Kate Miller, Greensboro, N.C., daughter of Bradley Miller, an employee of Hooker Furniture; Macy Penland, Connelly Springs, N.C., daughter of Junior Penland, an employee of Century Furniture; Kathryn Perry, Newton, N.C., daughter of Wallace Perry, an employee of Hanes Inds.; Gabriela Rosales Moreno, Galax, Va., daughter of Maria Espinoza, an employee of Vanguard; Abigail Strickland, Winston-Salem, N.C., daughter of David Strickland, an employee of Culp; and Tamya Washington, Tupelo, Miss., daughter of Leonis Hughes, HM Richards.
Students may reapply for the scholarship each year they are in school, provided a parent remains employed full time at a company that is a member of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
Since the first scholarships were awarded in 2000, 160 checks have been presented to 136 different students. Altogether 61 AHFA member companies have had an employee with a student who received an award. Applications are due January 31 each year and the awards are announced in the spring for the following school year. (Information and applications are available here: https://www.ahfa.us/member-resources/scholarship-program.)