Get the latest industry scoop
From Home Furnishing Business
July 10, 2024 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
The WithIt Scholarship Foundation has given $36,000 in various amounts to students for the 2024-25 school year through the WithIt Scholarship Foundation. A total of 17 sophomores and juniors studying for degrees in the home and furnishings industry and one woman from the industry received the scholarship funding.
WithIt received a total of $45,000 from the Heritage Home Group Charitable Trust for tuition scholarships and to allow student scholars the opportunity to attend the WithIt Annual Professional Conference, June 10-12 in Greenville, S.C where fourteen students were recognized.
Scholarship recipients are chosen through a committee convened by WithIt’s Vice President of Scholarship. The committee is responsible for reviewing application materials and choosing recipients.
“Any opportunity to provide more resources to students, especially women in a male-dominated industry so we can showcase our own abilities is critical for our industry,” says Paris Gholston, vice president of scholarship at WithIt and Customer Relations and Compliance Coordinator at Mattress Recycling Council. “During the first round of scholarships, I saw there were incredible women out there with great ideas and they deserve everything they can get to showcase those ideas and their brilliance.”
In addition to the general scholarship recipients, Grace Avery, a Textile Design major studying at NC State University, received the Jena and Stephen Hall Scholarship, given annually to recognize the highest achieving student.
The other recipients are as follows:
Ashlee Lowe, Business Administration, High Point University
Ashley Garcia Martinez, Interior Design, Randolph Community College
Charlene Garcia, Interior Design, Randolph Community College
Elayna Brown, Interior Design, Randolph Community College
Faith Kiss, Interior Design, Salem College
Haley Grimbeek, Industrial Design, Appalachian State University
Ihsan Mohammed, Interior Design, Meredith College
Katarina Jovic, Interior Design, New York School of Interior Design
Kristie Butcher, Interior Design and Architecture, Randolph Community College
Kristy Larabee, Interior Design, Randolph Community College
Lauren Koster, Interior Design, Western Carolina University
Mary Abigail Streble, Interior Design, Forsyth Technical Community College
Natalie Mangen, Architecture, Savannah College of Art and Design
Rebecca Grace Porterfield, Textile Design, NC State University
Sarah Marie Johnson, Interior Design, Randolph Community College
Skyler Trogdon, Interior Design, Randolph Community College
Billie J. Rhinehart, Home by Hart, received a continuing education scholarship to complete her bachelor’s degree in interior design at the Maryville University of Saint Louis.
To date, WithIt has given $283,000 in tuition scholarships since its inception. Learn more about Withit at withit.org.
Get the latest product announcements, show reports and people news in the home furnishings retail industry sent straight to your e-mail inbox.
