Meet Brennen: Army Veteran and TechForce Scholarship Recipient

Meet Brennen, Beneficiary of The John & Bernadette Heenan Veterans at Work Fund

Brennen is an Army veteran who knows how to overcome obstacles while giving back

“Since I was a little girl, I’ve always really enjoyed working with my hands and I knew I wanted to be a technician. I look forward to learning everything I can and being able to move up the ranks of master technician. My ultimate goal is to one day own my own shop and getting certified is going to help tremendously with those plans.”

Photo of Brennan, TechForce scholarship recipient

Overcoming challenges and inspiring others to do the same

Balancing being a single mother, working and going to school can prove to be very challenging. Brennen says, “I’m always feeling like I have to prove and push myself further than everyone else because I am a female in a male dominated industry.”
“I’d like to change the way women feel about having a career in the industry and make it easier for them to pursue their dreams. I am dedicated to reaching my goals. I keep my head up, practice, study and take any experience I can to perfect my craft. Being in school for something I am passionate about has made me more confident and not afraid to work in the industry. I want my daughter to know that she can be anything she wants to be without any fears.”

Finding ways to give back

Brennen understands how important it is to be involved and give back to her community. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season she makes sure to volunteer at a local homeless shelter.

Being a single mom, Brennen cannot live on campus. Paying for rent and school expenses makes it difficult for Brennen to make ends meet.

About the scholarship

The John & Bernadette Heenan Veterans at Work Fund helps make it possible for Brennen to pay for her technical education and living expenses.

For more on how TechForce scholarships and grants support students through their technical education, visit Techforce.org/Scholarships

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Public Scholarships for Technician Students

You don’t have to limit yourself to scholarships available through UTI. There are plenty of organizations out there looking to connect students like you with scholarship money for your technician training. Find out what local scholarship opportunities are available to you in your community (see Step 2) or check online scholarship search sites like scholarships.com and fastweb.com for more opportunities.

Third-party organizations offer these scholarships based on various qualification criteria, such as grade point average and competition outcomes.

PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TECHNICIAN STUDENTS

TechForce Foundation Awarding $5,000 in Scholarship Funds to the Arkansas Trucking Association

TechForce Foundation Invests in the Workforce Readiness of Arkansas Diesel Technicians by Awarding $5,000 in Scholarship Funds to the Arkansas Trucking Association

TechForce Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit purposed with championing students as they pursue their technical education and careers as professional technicians in the transportation industry, has granted the Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) $5,000 to award financially disadvantaged students with tuition scholarships so they may attend any of the accredited diesel/heavy truck technical programs throughout Arkansas.

The current technician shortage spans every inch of the industry, and the solution to this problem lies in unity. Through its support of the ATA, TechForce Foundation demonstrates its commitment to working closely with each facet of the world of transportation tech to be the voice of that united front.

Major industry pillars, such as trucking, have the power to drastically affect the overall health of the industry—and the diesel technicians in training today are the force that will uphold that pillar in the not-so-distant future. The logistics and transportation industry connects every corner of the nation, providing vital services through the distribution of the goods and materials utilized in virtually every aspect of the United States economy.

“Trucks have to keep rolling in order for the U.S. to maintain a healthy, stable economy, and diesel mechanics are what keep those trucks rolling,” explains Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “TechForce is partnering with the ATA to empower students pursuing education and careers as diesel technicians, and to ensure this highly-skilled workforce necessary to maintain our country’s economic stability is readily available.”

The ATA’s mission is straightforward: look out for the collective interests of the trucking industry through raising awareness of how integral the field is to the American economy and serve its members to promote growth and prosperity. TechForce Foundation’s message is much the same. The transportation industry plays a major role in so much more than the average individual is aware. It’s what keeps America moving forward, and the foundation of that movement is the technician workforce.

TechForce Foundation and the ATA look forward to the ways in which their partnership will aid aspiring diesel/heavy truck technicians on the road to achieving a quality technical education and becoming the industry’s much needed, highly-skilled workforce.

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About TechForce Foundation

TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion students to and through their technical education and into careers as professional technicians for the transportation industry. TechForce Foundation  awards more than $1 million in scholarships and grants annually to students facing financial hardship so they may obtain their post-secondary technical education. Additionally, TechForce leads the FutureTech SuccessSM, campaign, an industry-wide initiative to drive tomorrow’s workforce of technicians by inspiring, supporting and connecting middle- and high-school students and their influencers with the resources to support their technical education and career development. For more information visit www.techforce.org.

About Arkansas Trucking Association

The Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) pursues its mission to advance the trucking industry’s image, efficiency, competitiveness and profitability through a comprehensive range of services, products and member benefits designed to help members compete and succeed. Members range from firms with 5 or fewer trucks to some of the nation’s largest freight and logistics companies. The ATA promotes the health of the Arkansas trucking industry on issues that have a direct impact on member companies and both state and national economies. The Association is owned and governed by more than 300 trucking companies and important industry suppliers.