TCA launches Robert D. Penner scholarship

by Today's Trucking

The Truckload Carriers Association on Thursday announced a new, fully-endowed Past Chairmen’s Fund scholarship — the Robert D. Penner Scholarship. Penner served as TCA’s chairman from 2017 to 2018.

In order for a TCA past chairman to have a fully-endowed scholarship in their name, their Past Chairmen’s Fund is required to receive $50,000 in donations. The Robert D. Penner Scholarship will be the fourth scholarship named after a past TCA chairman.

Robert D. Penner (Photo: Files)

The inaugural recipient of the Robert D. Penner Scholarship, in the amount of $3,250, is Abbigale Brown, whose mother works at Long Haul Trucking based in Albertville, Minnesota. Brown will be a junior at the University of WisconsinRiver Falls and is majoring in elementary education.

The TCA Scholarship Fund will be providing financial assistance to the most recipients in its 48-year history. For the 2021-22 academic school year, 57 undergraduate college students with ties to the trucking industry have been awarded scholarships. Each student will receive a scholarship ranging from $2,725 to $6,250 from a total pool of $163,775.

Since 1973, the Fund has been providing scholarships to students associated with the trucking industry. Each scholarship recipient must be a student in good standing attending a four-year college or university and must be associated with a TCA member company as an employee, independent contractor, or the child, grandchild, or spouse of an employee or independent contractor of a TCA member company.

The fund awards its scholarships without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, or genetic information.

“Coming off one of the most challenging years for many families, it feels particularly special to award this year’s recipients with the TCA Scholarship Fund awards,” said TCA Scholarship Fund chairman and Wilson Logistics founder and CEO, Darrel Wilson.

“The TCA and I are proud to support these young adults as they continue their education, and we look forward to seeing their successes as they progress through their collegiate careers and beyond.”

The application process was managed by the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC).  A selection committee, handpicked by OFIC, scored the applicants, taking into considering the applicant’s GPA, major, extracurricular activities, hours worked, and more.


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