Farmington, CT – The KBE Foundation recently announced the recipients of its scholarship awards program, encouraging 18 graduating technical high school seniors to pursue industry careers.
Now in its 11th year, the foundation’s annual Construction Careers Scholarship program awarded $1,000 scholarships to students pursuing post-high school careers in the commercial construction industry at a special awards night on May 12 at Farmington Gardens in Farmington. In all, the foundation has awarded a total of $180,000 to 190 students since launching the program in 2014. Guest speakers at the awards event included Robert G. Dunn, president of the KBE Foundation and Marcie Addy, vice president of Workforce Development and Education and director of education for the Construction Education Center in Plainville.
While most scholarships are typically earmarked for college tuition, the KBE Foundation’s Construction Career Scholarships can also be used to pay for the costs of post-high school education programs, certifications, and tools needed in the pursuit of a construction career. These programs include training programs in carpentry, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades, certification classes for state licensure, as well as 2- and 4-year degree programs in construction management.
This year’s recipients:
From E.C. Goodwin Technical High School:
William Bourgoin, New Haven, CT (HVAC)
From Eli Whitney Technical High School:
JaDa Brantley, Bristol, CT (Carpentry)
From Ella Grasso Technical High School:
Alex Castagna, Mystic, CT (Electrical)
Elias Dominguez, Niantic, CT (Welding)
From Harvard H. Ellis Technical High School:
Ava Desjardins, Plainfield, CT (Masonry)
Dax Sforza, Hampton, CT (Carpentry)
From Henry Abbott Technical High School:
Matthew Green, Danbury, CT (HVAC)
Istvan Hatlaczky, Danbury, CT (Electrical)
Mikey Sweeny, Danbury, CT (HVAC)
Sabrina Viveros, Newtown, CT (Electrical)
Hunter Von Minden, New Milford, CT (Electrical)
From Norwich Technical High School:
Gavin Caswell, Canterbury, CT (Plumbing)
Brandon Cedio, Norwich, CT (HVAC)
Logan Ruszczyk, Oakdale, CT (HVAC)
Killian Stimson, Canterbury, CT (Plumbing)
From Platt Technical High School:
Ellie Davidson, Stratford, CT (Carpentry)
From Vinal Technical High School:
Noah Sardinskas, Portland, CT (Electrical)
Amanda Valk, Portland, CT (Electrical)
“The need to encourage young women and men to get into this industry is huge,” said Robert Dunn, Esq, president of the KBE Foundation, a non-profit public charity which now oversees all charitable giving for KBE Building Corporation and its affiliates. “The construction industry in Connecticut and across the nation is facing a dire shortage of qualified workers, from trade craftworkers to construction project managers and superintendents. At KBE, we believe we have a responsibility to encourage young women and men to pursue construction careers and help ensure a solid workforce for the future. One challenge is convincing students and their families that a construction career can be highly rewarding, both financially and personally.”
