The NRF Foundation will award $100k in scholarships to 24 outstanding students as a part of its Next Generation Scholarship program. This year, 24 students pursuing retail careers from NRF university member schools will be awarded a travel scholarship to attend Retail’s BIG Show and the NRF Student Program in New York City.
From those students, five were selected as finalists to interview with a panel of executive judges to determine four $10,000 recipients and a top recipient of the $25,000 Next Generation Scholarship. The top recipient will be revealed on center stage at the Foundation’s inaugural Gala on Sunday, January 11, 2015.
The five finalists for the 2015 NRF Next Generation Scholarship are:
- Biancha Felix, LIM College
- Courtney Hunter, Philadelphia University
- Sarah Kendzior, University of Minnesota
- Garrett Ledbetter, Indiana University
- Ashley Nudge, University of North Texas
“It becomes more of a challenge each year to narrow our finalists to only five as there are so many passionate, outstanding students to recognize,” said NRF Senior Vice President and NRF Foundation Executive Director Ellen Davis. “That passion and enthusiasm coming from the student community is just what retailers are looking for as they seek young, top talent to become the next generation of retail leaders.
“Careers in retail offer college graduates the opportunity to use their unique skillsets from the beginning of their careers and put their studies to work managing and developing real-life solutions, such as building Apps and e-commerce platforms, providing ideas for marketing and advertising campaigns and even analyzing the organization’s finances and accounting processes. This scholarship is a great starting point for any student wishing to be a part of an industry that offers diverse and rewarding career paths,” continued Davis.
In addition to the five finalists, NRF Foundation recognizes the 19 additional students who were nominated by their university for this prestigious scholarship. Each of these semi-finalists will also receive a travel scholarship to attend Retail’s BIG Show in New York City.
Hundreds of students are expected to attend Retail’s BIG Show Student Program on Saturday, January 10, 2015, which puts students in a room with executives behind the retail industry's most popular brands such as Belk Inc., HSNi, Tiffany & Co., Trunk Club, and Julep Beauty Inc. Students will benefit from career advice from retail recruiters offering opportunities for internships, training programs and entry-level career positions.
To learn more about the Next Generation Scholarship, visit NRF.com/NextGeneration.
Source: National Retail Federation
