01/11/24
Gadsden State students earn the most AAMA scholarships in the state
Gadsden, Ala. – Gadsden State Community College has 30 students who have received the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association Scholarship. The College has more AAMA scholarship recipients than any other community college in the state.
“Our students have set the bar,” said Alan Smith, dean of Workforce Development. “For three years in a row, Gadsden State has had the most students receive this scholarship. This scholarship is a great path to limitless opportunities for our students.”
The AAMA partnered with the Alabama Community College System to provide scholarships and mentors to students pursuing an associate degree or a technical education certificate in the automotive industry. Students in automotive technology-related programs were considered for the scholarship.
“The AAMA deserves our appreciation for what it is doing to foster the growth and education of our students,” Smith said. “The association has been instrumental in driving economic development in our state. It has played an important role in making Alabama a hub for automotive excellence. The AAMA is doing its part to ensure that the auto manufacturers in our state have the employees they need.”
Since the Mercedes Plant opened 26 years ago in Vance, four other automotive manufacturing plants have been built in the state. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, automotive manufacturing plants in the state produce 1.3 million cars each year, which is the third highest total in the nation. Alabama also has 150 Tier 1 suppliers who send finished parts directly to automotive manufacturers.
The Alabama Department of Commerce also reports that the state added more than 6,000 jobs in 2023, many of them in the automotive sector.
“We have auto manufacturers who are having to use recruiters to find out-of-state employees to meet their needs,” Smith said. “We have an obligation to do what we can to train and educate top-notch technicians that can fill the many vacant jobs available. The AAMA Scholarships are instrumental in getting more skilled laborers. It’s easier to recruit students when you can offer scholarships that will cover the cost of tuition and fees.”
The scholarships are $4,000 each and can be used for tuition, fees and books. Gadsden State students who have earned a scholarship from AAMA by major include:
- FAME/Industrial Automation Technology – Anthony Burns, Kanyon Cox, Kayden Cox, Judge Daugherty, Westin Day, Joshua Kanaday and Mason Lockridge, all of Gadsden; Brennen Butler of Eastaboga; Nathan Carr, Gavin Moore and Gerardo Rios-Reyes, all of Oxford; Ashton Elder, Trent Hopkins, Mason Jairrels and Taleasha Smoot, all of Anniston; Dalton Elliott of Southside; Lucas Harcow, Kaleb Harmon and Jackson Roberts, all of Heflin; Tanner Holderfield of Rainbow City; Briteon Husk of Munford; Bailey Mitchell of Ohatchee; Caden Mitchell of Ranburne and Joshua Whitehead of Lincoln
- Precision Machining Technology – Tyler Cate of Gadsden
- Automotive Manufacturing Technology – Curtis Collins of Pell City
- Industrial Automation – John Crane of Leesburg and Chandler McGinnis of Ashville
- Electrical Technology – Ethan Fair of Weaver
- Civil Engineering Technology – Caleb Fleming of Gadsden
For more information about Gadsden State’s Career Technical Programs, visit www.gadsdenstate.edu/technical.