Don’t Miss Out On The Opportunities Provided By ABA Foundation Scholarships

Posted by ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso, March 27, 2008

One of the greatest sources of pride for me in our industry is our commitment to building for its future. The motorcoach, tour and travel industry is, I’m pleased to report, always focused on building the next generation of leaders. And it’s in that spirit that the ABA Foundation scholarship program was conceived.

The benefits offered by the Foundation scholarships extend to ABA members, their employees and their families, as well as others. The application deadline for the upcoming 2008-2009 academic year is April 4. Now is the time to use this wonderful resource if you know of someone who may wish to apply. The scholarship categories are as diverse as our industry, and are designed to emphasize a wide variety of skills and personal attributes.

The George T. Snyder, Jr. Scholarships recognize deserving students who demonstrate scholastic ability, leadership, character, diversity, and the potential to be future leaders in the transportation, travel, and tourism industry. It was established after the death in 1995 of George T. Snyder, Jr., who was my predecessor as ABA President & CEO. A large part of George Snyder's deep and lifelong interest in the well-being of all people consisted of his focus on education and the opportunities for advancement it could bring. Since his entire professional career was spent in the bus industry, his friends and family believed that a scholarship program would be an appropriate way to honor him and to celebrate his life.

The scholarships, offering recipients financial assistance of $2,500 each to a total of 18 deserving candidates, range from those focused on academic merit, to ones aimed at broadening the number of traditionally under-represented groups in the management and operation ranks, to the Peter L. Picknelly Honorary Scholarships, established to recognize the contribution of bus drivers, mechanics and maintenance personnel to the motorcoach industry.

To start the application process visit Scholarship Program Administrators online at http://www.scholarshipadministrators.net/ [1]. The Access Key for ABA programs is “AMBUS.”

Don’t delay. The time to plan for the future is today. I encourage you to share with anyone in the industry “family” who might be a good candidate.