TCA Scholarship Fund awards more than $160K to 2022-23 recipients

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named its 2022-23 TCA Scholarship Fund recipients.

“What makes the TCA Scholarship Fund so special is the fact that it is funded by the proud and generous people of the trucking industry,” said American Central Transport Senior Vice President and CIO and the Fund’s Chairman Bob Kretsinger. “Whether it’s through fundraisers, company and/or individual donations, the Fund has been awarding scholarships for nearly 50 years. This year we had an outstanding number of applications, yet we were still able to award nearly 25% of all applicants with a scholarship.”

Since 1973, the Fund has been providing scholarships to students associated with the trucking industry. Each scholarship recipient must be a student in good standing attending a four-year college or university and must be associated with a TCA member company as an employee, independent contractor, or the child, grandchild, or spouse of an employee or independent contractor of a TCA member company. The Fund awards its scholarships without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, or genetic information.

Again this year, the application process was managed by the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC). A selection committee, established by OFIC, scored the applicants, taking into consideration the applicant’s GPA, major, extracurricular activities, hours worked, and more.

This school year, 19 high school seniors, 15 college freshman, 11 college sophomores, seven college juniors, and three college seniors were awarded scholarships totaling more than $160,000. Recipients are located across the U.S. and Canada; Wisconsin leads the way with eight recipients.

Additionally, the Fund announced a new, fully endowed Past Chairmen’s Fund scholarship — the Tom Kretsinger, Jr., Scholarship. Kretsinger served as TCA’s Chairman from 2013-2014. For a TCA past chairman to have a fully-endowed scholarship in their name, their Past Chairmen’s Fund is required to receive $50,000 in donations.

The inaugural recipient of the scholarship, in the amount of $3,250, is Anthony Ciraulo, whose father works at Werner Enterprises based in Omaha, Nebraska. Ciraulo will be a college senior at Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, and is majoring in accounting.

Scholarship winners and company affiliation include:

• Tristan Schelvan, H.O. Wolding – NAIT Scholarship, $6,250
• Rae Ballinger, H.O Wolding – John Kaburick Scholarship, $4,500
• Alexandra Wayne, Brown Trucking Co. – Kai Norris Scholarship, $3,250
• Joshua Short, Cargo Transporters, Inc. – Darrel Clark Wilson III Scholarship, $3,250
• Mallory Beamer, Dutch Maid Logistics – Thomas Welby Scholarship, $3,250
• Jared Anderson, deBoer Transportation, Inc. – Stoney Reese Stubbs Scholarship, $3,250
• Cade Walder, Nussbaum Transportation – Robert Low Scholarship, $3,250
• Amy Pitzel, Bison Transport – Robert D. Penner Scholarship, $3,250
• Landry Kirsling, H.O. Wolding – Thomas R. Schilli Scholarship, $3,250
• Connor Gates, Prime Inc. – Thomas R. Schilli Scholarship, $3,250
• Nathan Gariepy, Load One, LLC – Keith Tuttle Scholarship, $3,250
• Anthony Ciraulo, Werner Enterprises – Tom Kretsinger, Jr., Scholarship, $3,250

The following students have been awarded $2,725 for the 2022-23 school year:

• Elizabeth Wilhelm, Hirschbach Motor Lines
• Toby Plattner, Nussbaum Transportation
• Parker Litterick, Warren Transport, Inc.
• Jack Thompson, Cheema Freightlines, LLC
• Jocelyn Calderon, Whiteline Express, Ltd.
• Isabella Makowske, Dart Transit Company
• Olivia Thompson, Cheema Freightlines, LLC
• Keylan Newton, Covenant Transport Services
• Megan Rogers, Don Hummer Trucking Corp.
• Martina Tolhurst, Bison Transport
• Isabella McDaniel, Buchanan Hauling & Rigging
• Emily Dudaitis, E and V Services, Inc.
• Annika Waltenberg, H.O. Wolding
• Chase Forwerck, Keller Logistics, LLC
• Nicholas Farrell, Load One, LLC
• Jack Rogers, Don Hummer Trucking Corp.
• Chloe Smith, Barber Trucking, Inc.
• Courtney Street, Wilson Logistics
• Tanner Nelson, Bay & Bay
• Skyler Seybold, Prime Inc.
• Kylie Woods, Woods Transportation LLC
• Alyssa Kirsling, H.O. Wolding
• Nathan Stice, CFI
• Rylee Deckard, Prime Inc.
• Natalie Houser, Daseke – Boyd Bros Transportation, Inc.
• Mason Jenkins, Doug Andrus Distributing LLC
• Andrew Goble, DMC Insurance
• Victoria Freeman, U.S. Xpress, Inc.
• Jacob Moore, Covenant Logistics
• Molly Nugent, R.E. Garrison Trucking
• James Floyd, KLLM Transport Services
• Kaden Buatte, Prime Inc.
• Genesis Drake, Cargo Transporters, Inc.
• Kelsey Fullenkamp, Whiteline Express, Ltd.
• Eva Whang, Veriha Trucking
• Ariel Swerlein, Classic Carriers, Inc.
• Kylie Wenger, Wilson Logistics
• Jaida Ndungu, USA Truck, Inc.
• Seth Bose, K & J Trucking
• Theresa Stephens, McLeod Software
• Kelsey McGaughey, PGT Trucking, Inc.
• Jackson Smith, Arctic Express
• Benay Taylor, Prime Inc.

To learn more about the TCA Scholarship Fund, or for information on how you can donate to the Past Chairmen’s Fund, visit truckload.org/scholarships.

Truckload Authority Staff

The Truckload Authority News Staff, comprised of award winning journalists and graphic artists, produces content for Truckload Authority, working in cooperation with the Truckload Carriers Association staff. Truckload Authority aims to keep TCA members abreast on the latest trends in the trucking industry as well as articles that feature TCA member executives and drivers. The Truckload Authority staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.