Building Futures: Industry Support Fuels Student Success Through 2026 CREF Scholarships

Written for Collision Repair Education Foundation

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) continues to invest in the next generation of collision repair professionals through its annual Student Scholarship program. In 2026, CREF distributed over $195,000 in scholarships to 102 students pursuing careers in the collision industry. Additionally, for the third consecutive year, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) partnered with CREF to administer its U.S. scholarship program, awarding $29,500 in scholarships and 20 tool kits to students pursuing collision repair careers.

The Foundation’s ability to support so many future professionals reflects both increasing industry engagement and CREF’s ongoing efforts to connect schools, instructors and students with available opportunities. As more organizations recognize the importance of investing in the next generation of talent, their support is helping expand access to education, training and career pathways for aspiring collision repair professionals.

For scholarship recipients, the impact extends far beyond financial assistance. Many students say the support provides not only the resources needed to continue their education, but also the confidence and encouragement to pursue their goals and build successful careers in the industry.

“Receiving this scholarship has made a meaningful difference in my ability to continue my education,” shares Isabella “Izzy” Malloy (Pennsylvania College of Technology; Williamsport, PA). “My father is on disability and is unable to contribute financially, and while my mother helps as much as she can, her support is primarily used for the supplies required for my program. Because of this, I am responsible for covering many of my remaining educational expenses. Although I receive financial aid through FAFSA and PHEAA, there are still significant costs that are not covered, often requiring me to rely on student loans. This scholarship has helped lessen that financial burden and has given me greater peace of mind as I continue my studies. I am incredibly grateful for this support, as it allows me to focus more on my education, professional growth and future career goals.”

Larry “Big Tate” Tate (Chattanooga State Community College; Chattanooga, TN) also expresses gratitude for the scholarship, which lessens the financial burden of education. “This scholarship will have a major impact on my continued education in the collision repair field. I am committed to building a long-term career in the automotive industry, and these funds will help reduce financial barriers and allow me to focus more on developing the technical skills, certifications and hands-on experience needed to become a successful collision repair professional. Being selected for this scholarship means a great deal to me personally. My journey has not always been easy, and returning to school later in life required determination, faith and a willingness to start over. This opportunity serves as a reminder that hard work and perseverance are recognized and rewarded. My goal is not only to graduate and excel in the collision repair industry, but also to use my experiences to encourage others who may feel it is too late to pursue their dreams. I want to show that with dedication and the right support, it is possible to overcome challenges and create a better future. I am grateful for this investment in my education and future, and I look forward to making the most of the opportunity!”

Gustavo Herrera (Tulsa Tech; Broken Arrow; OK) believes that “Receiving this scholarship is the springboard that will keep my career in the collision field on the right track. My instructors prepared me to the best of their abilities, and the knowledge I obtained in school has already paid off. I secured an internship a month before graduation and was subsequently hired full-time by Bill Knight Collision Repair. Because professional-grade tools are a significant investment for a recent graduate, this scholarship will directly help me purchase the necessary equipment for my toolbox. By easing this financial burden, I can focus entirely on mastering my skills, increasing my efficiency and producing the highest quality repairs from day one.”

The experiences shared by scholarship recipients underscore the impact these awards can have on students pursuing careers in collision repair. In 2026, CREF distributed $196,230 through its Student Scholarship program, helping aspiring professionals continue their education and prepare for successful careers in the industry.

“CREF is honored to recognize these outstanding students through the 2026 scholarships and tool grants,” said Melissa Marscin, Director of Operations and Impact for CREF. “These students are truly committed to pursuing their education and becoming part of the collision industry, and we hope these awards help contribute to their successful careers.”

PPG and the PPG Foundation funded over $40,000 in scholarships, distributed between 14 students. Tristen Jeffrey (Aims Community College; Windsor, CO) was awarded a $1,230 PPG MVP Scholarship, while an additional 14 students with a special interest in the painting segment of the industry were each awarded scholarships to help fund their education and ensure they have the opportunity to pursue a future career in the collision repair industry. Alex Hernandez (Idaho State University; Pocatello, ID) received $1,743.29, and Diego Juarez (College of Lake County; Grayslake, IL) was awarded $1,256.71. Additionally, the 12 recipients of a $3,000 scholarship from the PPG Foundation include:

• Alexis Arrona (Collin College; Allen, TX)
• Elio Cabrera (Lincoln College of Technology; Indianapolis, IN)
• Chris Galaviz (Madison College; Madison, WI)
• Carson Hassemer (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; Green Bay, WI)
• Gustavo Herrera (Tulsa Tech; Broken Arrow; OK)
• Michael Montalvo (Ohio Technical College; Cleveland, OH)
• Jacqueline Nguyen (Portland Community College; Portland, OR)

• Adam Reichart (Lorenzo Walker Technical College; Fort Myers, FL)
• Alexander Romero (Collin College; Allen, TX)
• Larry Tate (Chattanooga State Community College; Chattanooga, TN)

• Micael Torres (Idaho State University; American Falls, ID)
• Julian Ybarra (St. Philip’s College; San Antonio, TX)

State Farm supported CREF’s efforts to aid students in their studies with a generous donation of $40,000 in student scholarships, distributed between 16 students, who each received $2,500 toward continuing their education:

• Elio Cabrera (Lincoln College of Technology; Indianapolis, IN)
• Elizabeth Caspers (Rock Valley College; Rockford, IL)
• Enrique Castillo (Green B. Trimble Technical; Fort Worth, TX)
• Aiden Fellows (Warren Tech; Lakewood, CO)
• Collin Fisher (SUNY Alfred State; Wellsville, NY)
• Cole Gullixson (Madison Area Technical College; Madison, WI)
• Diego Juarez (College of Lake County; Grayslake, IL)
• Courteney Lafrenz (Southeast Technical College; Sioux Falls, SD)
• Electra Lucero (Madison Area Technical College; Madison, WI)
• Daniel Murdock (Milwaukee Area Technical College; Oak Creek, WI)
• Jacob Parga (Green B. Trimble Technical High School; Forest Hill, TX)
• Kieran Pavlica (Dakota County Technical College; Rosemount, MN)
• Noel Reyes (Warren Tech; Lakewood, CO)
• Joel Rios (Lincoln College of Technology; Denver, CO)
• Ricardo Rivas (Texas Southmost College; Brownsville, TX)
• Luke Wetherington (Blueridge Community College; Flat Rock, NC)

LKQ continued its efforts to support collision students by donating $20,000 toward scholarships in 2025. Eight students were awarded $2,500 each as follows:

• Angelica Briones (Tennessee College of Applied Technology; Chattanooga, TN)
• Cornelio Campos Nuci (Tennessee College of Applied Technology; Morristown, TN)
• Alice Cook (Collin College; Allen, TX)
• Emanuel Fuentes Anastacio (Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Murfreesboro; Smyrna, TN)
• Ryan Gober (Ooltewah High School; Collegedale, TN)
• Travis Jackson (South Side High School; Jackson, TN)
• Juan Ramos Escobar (Chattanooga State Community College; Chattanooga, TN)
• Madison Warren (Unaka High School; Elizabethton, TN)

In its 14^th year, the annual Hire Our Heroes program is a part of 3M’s ongoing efforts to provide military veterans with educational opportunities in the collision repair industry, and the grants are open to collision repair students who currently serve, or recently served, in the U.S. military. Criteria to be considered for the Hire Our Heroes awards and grants include financial need, future plans and past academic achievement. Thanks to its generous $14,000 donation, 3M’s 2026 Hire Our Heroes scholarships in the amount of $1,750 each were awarded to the following eight military veterans to help them further their collision careers:

• Kevin Alfaro (Universal Technical Institute; Houston, TX)
• Kenny Baynes (Fayetteville Technical Community College; Fayetteville, NC)
• Ivan Correa (Fayetteville Technical Community College; Fayetteville, NC)
• Christopher Elizondo (Amarillo College; Amarillo, TX)
• Demetris Price (Atlanta Technical College; Atlanta, GA)
• Ezekiel Rodriguez (Antelope Valley College; Lancaster, CA)
• Casey Smith (Tennessee College of Applied Technology; Chattanooga, TN)
• Richard Williams (Atlanta Technical College; Atlanta, GA)

Driven Brands partnered with CREF to award ten $1,000 scholarships to the following future collision repair professionals to help kickstart their careers:

• Emily Carroll (Hennepin Technical College; Brooklyn Park, MN)
• Jordi Garcia (Kennedy-King College; Chicago, IL)
• Katelyn Jenkins (Palomar College; San Marcos, CA)
• Erik Laborin (Tulsa Technology Center; Tulsa, OK)
• Ebraheembeg Mirza (American River College; Sacramento, CA)
• Jacqueline Nguyen (Portland Community College; Portland, OR)
• Maurice Randle (Kennedy-King College; Chicago, IL)
• Isaias Santiago (Metropolitan Community College; Omaha, NE)
• Ben Siekert (Santana High School; Santee, CA)
• Michael Stangler (Minnesota State College Southeast; Winona, MN)

A $10,000 donation from Hearst funded six scholarships, aiding students in reaching their collision aspirations. The following four students were awarded $2,000 scholarships:

• Emmanuel Bucio (Kennedy-King College; Chicago, IL)
• Dylan Fields (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; Green Bay, WI)
• Jolie Keigley (Des Moines Area Community College; Ankeny, IA)
• Ryndon Olsen (North Dakota State College of Science; Wahpeton, ND)

Additionally, two students were selected to received $1,000 each:

• Olivia Dellinger (Wilkes Community College; Wilkesboro, NC)
• Rodrigo Pedraza (Northeast Arkansas Career and Technical Center; Jonesboro, AR)

In addition to supporting CREF and collision schools and students in myriad other ways, Hertz funded five scholarships in 2026. Each student was awarded $2,000:

• David Foster (Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR)
• Zachary Hale (Vroonland Vanguard High School; Mesquite, TX)
• Jeffrey Martinez (Prairie View High School; Henderson, CO)
• Kennedy McDaniel (Des Moines Area Community College; Ankeny, IA)
• Michael Montalvo (Ohio Technical College; Cleveland, OH)

OEM Roundtable succored the future of the collision repair industry with a $10,000 donation to fund five student scholarships; each of the following five students benefitted from $2,000 scholarship:

• Alexis Arrona (Collin College; Allen, TX)
• Jonatan Huerta De La Cruz (Des Moines Metro Community College; Ankeny, IA)
• Rafael Luna (Collin College; Allen, TX)
• Jaaziel Rodriguez (Cedar Crest; Lebanon, SC)
• Ismael Segovia (Amarillo College; Amarillo, TX)

Thanks to a generous donation from CCC, three lucky college students will receive a CCC Michael Salvatore Repair Technician Scholarship, valued at $3,000 each. CCC’s ongoing dedication to the industry helps ensure that these students and others have the resources and opportunities they need to achieve their goals. The lucky recipients of CCC’s 2026 student scholarships include:

• Christian Aparicio (Kennedy-King College; Chicago, IL)
• Isabella “Izzy” Malloy (Pennsylvania College of Technology; Williamsport, PA)

• Demetrius Soto (Amarillo College; Amarillo, TX)

Eight exemplary students were selected as the recipients of $1,000 scholarships funded by CSN Collision as follows:

• Leo Bartolo (TECC-West; Lewisville, TX)
• Qaiyim Beeks (Hennepin Technical College; Minneapolis, MN)
• Brandon French (El Camino College; Torrance, CA)
• Zachary Hale (Vroonland Vanguard High School; Mesquite, TX)
• Pedro Hernandez (Collin College; Allen, TX)
• Chayse Johnson (El Camino College; Torrance, CA)
• Justin Warneke (Hennepin Technical College; Brooklyn Park, MN)
• Esther Whittlef (Prior Lake High School; Savage, MN)

Six outstanding students benefitted from a donation by JW Bagley Foundation Scholarships, a non-industry entity that supports CREF’s mission. Roberto Barrientos (Technical Apprentice Program; Lockhart, TX) and Emerald Manuel (Northeast Community College; Norfolk, NE) each received $2,000 in funding. Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 were bestowed upon the following four students:

• Lucian Machuca (College of Western Idaho; Nampa, ID)
• Julian Minjarez (Collin College; Allen, TX)
• James Mitchell (Freedom High School; Freedom, WI)
• Kyle Tilson (Southwest Wisconsin Technical College; Fennimore, WI)

VIVE Collision awarded $1,000 scholarships to eight deserving students to help them prepare for their future collision industry careers:

• Tiyauna Carter (Rosedale Technical College; Pittsburgh, PA)
• Olivia Cash (Hampton High School; Allison Park, PA)
• Hector Lizardo Alvarez (Dauphin County Technical School; Harrisburg, PA)
• Jocelyn Pandolfo (Pennsylvania College of Technology; Williamsport, PA)
• Brandon Saldana (El Camino College; Los Angeles, CA)
• Jose Sanchez (Davies Career & Technical High School; Lincoln, RI)
• Mia Verri (Rosedale Technical College; Pittsburgh, PA)
• Addison Zick (Pennsylvania College of Technology; Williamsport, PA)

A $3,500 donation from Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) was distributed to four worthy collision students, who each received scholarships for $875:

• Ash Andersen (Wamego High School; Wamego, KS)
• Rihanna Davis (LaFayette High School; Lafayette, GA)
• Gabriella De Leon Humes (Lincoln College of Technology; Indianapolis, IN)
• Samuel Martinez (Warren Tech; Lakewood, CO)

Through a $3,000 donation from Erie Insurance, CREF was able to award two $1,500 scholarships to the following students:

• Trinity Carr (Vanguard Sentinel Career and Technology Center; Fremont, OH)
• Summer Gipple (SUNY Erie Community College; Orchard Park, NY)

AASPI funded a $1,000 scholarship, which was awarded to Alan Perez (College of Lake County; Grayslake, IL).

The Collision Repair Education Foundation Board of Trustees awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Tia Wolffe (Kennedy-King College; Chicago, IL).

The fourth annual Jeff Silver Memorial Scholarship, valued at $500, was awarded to Rachel Santafemia (North Georgia Technical College; Clarkesville, GA). Established in December 2022, the Jeff Silver Memorial Scholarship honors the memory and long-lasting legacy of Jeff Silver, a respected trailblazer and leader in industry repair standards. Due to Silver’s love for the collision industry and dedication to ensuring that the next generation would enjoy the same opportunities within the field, his family believes the “Jeff Silver Memorial Scholarship,” designed to help remove financial barriers for students studying collision repair, is the perfect way to continue the legacy he left behind.

For the third year, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) partnered with CREF to administer its scholarship program in the United States. In 2026, WIN awarded $29,500 in monetary scholarships, plus 20 tool kits. Ten Champions each received $2,500 in funding plus shop tools. Nine Trailblazers received $500 scholarships, and 10 Legends received tool kits. All WIN scholarship recipients also received a complimentary WIN Student Membership, WIN Conference virtual pass and will be eligible to participate in WIN’s mentoring program, which consists of student engagement group calls where they will have the opportunity to share best practices with collision industry professionals as well as their peers.

This year’s scholarship recipients demonstrate a continued shift in demographics and growth in diversity. Based on self-reporting, 80% of the students receiving a scholarship represent diverse populations, demonstrating the industry’s forward movement toward a more diverse workforce. Over 30% of these students identify as female, 1.7% identify as non-binary/non-conforming, and while nearly 63% of the recipients self-reported a race other than Caucasian. Nearly half (47.79%) of the students who received support in 2026 listed their race as Hispanic or Latino. CREF is excited to see this shift, which reflects growing interest in the field among young women and individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds, whose unique perspectives and talents will help drive the industry forward and strengthen its future.

High school and college collision repair education students were eligible for these awards, which provide students with financial support to enable them to continue their education and prepare them for a successful career in body shops around the country.

Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist high school and college collision repair training programs can Contact Us to learn about the many ways to get involved. Monetary donations can be made online, or sign up for The Donation Exchange to easily provide in-kind resources that collision repair schools and students desperately need.

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The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org.

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If you would like more information about this topic or any of CREF’s initiatives, please email info@ed-foundation.org.