The National Retail Federation Foundation has revealed the top five finalists for its 2017 Next Generation Scholarship program, which provides financial support to college students pursuing careers or majors relevant to retail.
The finalists are:
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Jill Davis, University of Georgia;
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Makaela Hill, Indiana University;
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Margaret Kwon, The New School – Parsons School of Design;
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Danielle Mennella, LIM College; and
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Kaley Suero, University of Pennsylvania.
The finalists will travel to New York City to interview with a panel of retail executives, who will award one $25,000 grand prize scholarship and four $10,000 scholarships.
“Each year we are impressed by the caliber of students that apply for this scholarship and their level of creativity and passion towards retail,” said Ellen Davis, Executive Director of the NRF Foundation in a statement. “Through their essays, this year’s finalists demonstrated excitement, innovation, leadership and passion that is very crucial in shaping the future of the retail industry.”
In addition to the top finalist awards, the NRF Foundation will provide all 20 semi-finalists with travel scholarships to attend the NRF Student Program at Retail’s BIG Show and the NRF Foundation Gala.
More than 500 students are expected to attend the Student Program from Jan. 13-15, which exposes them to executives from brands such as Disney, The Home Depot, Macy’s, West Elm and Nike. Students will hear from retail recruiters offering opportunities for internships, training programs and entry-level career positions, and will learn to leverage their networks to advance their careers through an executive mentor session.
To learn more about the scholarship, visit NRF.com/NextGeneration.