The American Rental Association (ARA) Foundation scholarship committee selected 27 students to receive scholarships for the 2011/2012 academic year. There were 21 Foundation scholarships awarded, as well as 16 scholarships for the ARA Foundation’s affiliate programs.

Many students received multiple scholarships, which range from $500 to $3,000. The scholarships are awarded to students pursuing an education related to the equipment rental industry at technical/vocational schools, community colleges, undergraduate colleges and graduate schools.

Richard Kevin Saunders of Sully’s Tool and Party Rental, Akron, Ohio, received the Leonard Hawk Founders Scholarship, the Foundation’s top scholarship worth $3,000. He also received a $750 ARA of Ohio scholarship, giving him a total of $3,750 in scholarship funds.

Recipients of the ARA Foundation undergraduate scholarships of $2,000 each are the following:

• Tyler Joseph Arlinghaus, Art’s Rental Equipment, Newport, Ky.
• Melanie Lynn Cougle, Perfect Party, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
• Brittany Ryan Fike, Let’s Entertain, Cleveland
• Kaitlin Elizabeth Holst, Havit Supplies, Grandville, Mich.
• Charles Peabody Jones, Rent-All, Alexandria, Va.
• Jacob D. Kanis, Nelson Agri-Center True Value, Viroqua, Wis.
• Kyle Landua, U-Rent-It Sales and Service, Terrell, Texas

• Aleena M. Lewis, Lewis Equipment Rental, Indianapolis
• Alexandra Meghan Morand, Riverside Rental, Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada
• Matthew P. Sweeney, ABC Rental Center, Parma Heights, Ohio
• Andrew Steven Yount, A-1 Equipment Rental, Morristown, Tenn.

Those receiving the Foundation technical/vocational scholarships of $1,000 each are the following:

• Luther Fastwolf Bender, Table 4 Décor Rentals, Rapid City, S.D.
• Jared Coulter, Castle Rental, Castle Rock, Colo.
• Joseph Warren Hoch, Rentals Unlimited/Grand Rental Station, Traverse City, Mich.
• Joan Marie Kinnick, United Rentals, Marshfield, Wis.
• Joseph Michael Mantel, Rent-All, Sioux Center, Iowa
• Jordan Robert Stranks, Nor-Val Events, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
• Katherine Jeanne Steakley, Wilson Rental, Mokena, Ill.
• Kristan Lynn Underwood, New River Valley Rent-All, Pulaski, Va.

The recipient of a $2,000 ARA Foundation graduate scholarship is:

• Thomas James (Jamie) Tartamella, General Rental Center, Springfield, Mo.

The Foundation also administers scholarships for affiliated rental organizations. The affiliate scholarship recipients include:

ARA Insurance Scholarship – $2,500

• Matthew P. Sweeney, also the recipient of an ARA Foundation undergraduate scholarship and an ARA of Ohio scholarship. He receives a total of $5,250 in scholarship funds.

Ron Marshall Scholarships, awarded by ARA Region Two – $500 each

• Academic: Charles Peabody Jones, also the recipient of a Foundation undergraduate scholarship.
• Vocational/Technical: Kristan Lynn Underwood, also the recipient of a Foundation vocational/technical scholarship.

Dorothy Wellnitz Scholarship – Canadian Rental Association – US$1,000

• Jordan Robert Stranks, also the recipient of an ARA Foundation vocational/technical scholarship.

Doug Mitchell Scholarship – Canadian Rental Association – US$1,000

• Rebecca Marie Everitt, Rentquip Canada Limited, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

ARA of North Carolina – $1,000

• David Marcinkoski, American Party Rentals, Durham, N.C.

ARA of Ohio – $750 each

• Brittany Ryan Fike, also the recipient of an ARA Foundation undergraduate scholarship.
• Richard Kevin Saunders, also the recipient of the Leonard Hawk Founders Scholarship.
• Matthew P. Sweeney, also the recipient of an ARA Foundation undergraduate scholarship and the ARA Insurance Scholarship.

ARA of Michigan – $500 each

• Courtney Elizabeth Girard, Bos Rentals and Service, Novi, Mich.
• Erick G. Helfmann, A-1 Lansing Rent-All, Lansing, Mich.
• Joseph Warren Hoch, also the recipient of an ARA Foundation vocational/technical scholarship.
• Kaitlin Elizabeth Holst, also the recipient of the ARA Foundation undergraduate scholarship.

Texas Rental Association – $1,000 each

• Walter Thomas Burke, Taylor Rental, Garland, Texas.
• Lauren Marie Harris, Point-of-Rental Systems, Grand Prairie, Texas.

ARA Foundation awards scholarships to 27 students

• Kyle Landua, also the recipient of an ARA Foundation undergraduate scholarship.

The scholarships – selected during an anonymous screening of applications – are awarded based on academic success, leadership, rental industry involvement, written essays on rental-related questions and references. Applicants must be associated with the equipment rental industry as an owner, manager or employee of a rental operation or a manufacturer/supplier of rental equipment, or the family member of an owner, manager or employee.

Applications for the 2012/2013 ARA Foundation scholarships will be available in the fall. More information on the scholarship program is online at  www.ARAfoundation.com ^[1].