WithIt Awards $30K in Scholarships to 17 Students

July 27, 2017  by Larry Thomas in Community / Charitable Support, Industry   

A committee of four WithIt members evaluated the applications of students in various fields of study related to home furnishings for the awards.

Applicants were required to submit official school transcripts indicating the student’s grade point average and class rank, SAT/ACT scores, three letters of recommendation, and a 300-500-word essay on why the applicant is interested in the home furnishings industry and how the scholarship will help them further their career.

"We were thrilled to have so many deserving applicants this year" said Amy Van Dorp, managing director of WithIt. “This has been a great way to celebrate our twentieth and truly further our mission of encouraging and developing opportunities for professional women in the home and furnishings industry.”

Undergraduate recipients were Natalie Anderson, FIDM Los Angeles, Interior Design/Business; Adrianna Andretta, The Ohio State University, Industrial Design; Hannah Carlton, Clemson University, Architectural Design; Taj Cutting, Fashion Institute of Technology, Interior Design; Catherine Downey, Fashion Institute of Technology, Home Products Development; Mary Campbell Gray, Mississippi State University, Interior Design; Molly Hellickson, Miami University, Interior Design; Mary Leonard, North Carolina State University, Fashion and Textile Management; Amber McCullough, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Interior Architecture; and Morgan Mitchell, The Ohio State University, Interior Design; Abigail Parisot, Winthrop University, Interior Design; Samantha Sullivan, Mississippi State University, Interior Design; Destiny Warren, North Carolina State University, Textile Design; Natalie Watson, Mississippi State University, Interior Design; and Kylie Worman, Winthrop University, Interior Design.

Continuing education recipients were Amanda Daubert, director of services at Furniture First, and Colette Schulte, senior buyer at Aaron’s Rent to Own. Three additional continuing education scholarships remain. Interested candidates can learn about the qualifications on withit.org.

“We added to the continuing education category to recognize women who are already in the industry but want to further their careers through education,” said Karen Fallon, scholarship committee chair and territory account manager at Heritage Home Group.
Nine of the undergraduate students attended WithIt’s education conference last month in Charleston, S.C.

The scholarships were funded by a $30,000 contribution from Heritage Home Group’s charitable trust.