OTA Educational Foundation Awards More Than 30 Scholarships

TORONTO — The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) Education Foundation has awarded scholarships to five high-achieving students for the 2015 academic year. 

The recipients, who are first-year post-secondary students, are chosen by the foundation’s selection committee, which spends hours reviewing applications that are submitted by students who are the children of parents who work in the Ontario trucking industry.

“These students exhibit an impressive balance between academic abilities, service to community and strong personal values, and are extremely deserving of this additional recognition”, said Foundation Chairman Scott Smith.

The J.O. Goodman Scholarship was awarded to students Juliane Clemente of Scarborough and Abhishek Paul of Mississauga.

Juliane’s application was sponsored by Kriska Holdings where her father is employed as a truck driver. She is studying physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto. 

Abhiskek’s application was sponsored by Highland Transport, where his father has worked as an owner-operator for five years. Also a student at U of T, Abhishek is studying computer engineering.

The J.O. Goodman Scholarship is named for Joe Goodman, who for 44 years was senior staff executive of OTA and served as the foundation’s executive director from its beginning in 1958 until 1978.

The Bud Barr Scholarship was awarded to Jack Mills of Ancaster and Tressa Oke of Courtland.

Jack’s application was sponsored by Challenger Motor Freight where his father is a long-haul driver. He is studying commerce at Queen’s University.

Tressa’s father is a driver at Kriska, which sponsored her application. She is studying biological science at the University of Guelph.

The Bud Barr Scholarship is named for Bud Barr, who served as the foundation’s executive director from 1992 to 2005, following his retirement from a long career in the Ontario trucking industry and who passed away in 2009.

The CV Hoar Scholarship was awarded to fashion management student, Joanne Gonsalves, of Brampton. Her application was sponsored by TST Overland Express, where her mother works as a an agent.

The C. V. Hoar Scholarship is named for Charles Hoar, who is one of the founding members of the OTA Education Foundation and who led the foundation into its current form when he helped establish the J.O. Goodman Awards in 1979.

In addition to the Goodman, Barr, and Hoar scholarships, 28 general university and college scholarships were awarded to students who submitted applications sponsored by Ontario-based trucking companies.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*