Four Chrysler LLC Plants Award $10,000 in Scholarships to Kokomo Students

KOKOMO, Ind., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indiana Transmission Plants I and II (Kokomo, Ind.); Kokomo (Ind.) Casting Plant and Kokomo (Ind.) Transmission Plant have awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarships on behalf of The Chrysler Foundation to Kokomo-area students for the 2008-2009 calendar school year. Ten students each received $1,000 and individually monogrammed backpacks to help support their pursuit of technical educational courses in post-secondary education at two- and four-year colleges, universities or vocational/technical institutions.
"It is important to give back to the youth of our community," Brian Glowiak, Vice President - The Chrysler Foundation, said. "Helping these students achieve their educational goals will benefit them as well as the surrounding community and workforce in the future."
In 2006, The Chrysler Foundation established the Chrysler Scholarship Fund for Technical Training with the Kokomo/Howard County Development Corporation. Both organizations selected the winning students and the recipients were recently honored at a reception at Indiana Transmission Plant I.
The scholarship fund targets high school seniors and graduates who are under 21, living in Kokomo and pursuing careers in technical or vocational fields such as engineering, manufacturing, computer science or skilled trades.
This year there are four renewed scholarships and six newly awarded scholarships. Among the 10 scholarships presented, two are dedicated awards: The Kokomo Chapter of Chrysler African American Network (CAAN) scholarship is provided to a qualified minority candidate; and the Brett Maggert award is named in memory of the Kokomo Transmission Plant electrician who lost his life at work in 2006.

Scholarship recipients include:

-- Jacob Chalk - Northwestern High School (2008) and "Brett Maggert" award
  recipient

-- Daniel Kelley - The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and
  Humanities (2008)

-- Dustin Merrell - Northwestern High School (2008)

-- Shayne Riley - Northwestern High School (2008)

-- Ian Smith - Western High School (2008)

-- Joseph Williams - Northwestern High School (2008)

-- Thomas Kelley - Western High School, currently attending Rose-Hulman
  Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind.

-- Todd Powell - Northwestern High School, currently attending University
  of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, Ohio

-- Simonne Gaskin - Kokomo High School and CAAN selection recipient,
  currently attending Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Ky.

-- Stephen Sehr - Kokomo High School, currently attending Purdue
  University in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Indiana Transmission Plant I produces transmissions for the Jeep(R) Grand Cherokee, Dodge Dakota and Durango, as well as the Dodge Ram Trucks and Jeep Liberty, Cummins Diesel and Heavy Duty, vehicles.