WIN awards $50,000 in scholarship funding, toolkits to 39 rising female collision repairers

More than $50,000 in scholarship funding and full toolkits were awarded to 39 recipients of the 2026 Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Student Scholarship Awards.

The winners were selected from more than 100 applicants.

WIN awards three levels of scholarships (Champions, Trailblazers, and Legends) each year to students enrolled in post-secondary collision repair technology programs. A new scholarship level, the “Northern Star,” for Canadian students, was also awarded this year.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) again partnered with WIN this year to expand its reach to those looking for a career in collision repair, according to a WIN press release

“WIN’s commitment to driving the future of the industry is anchored by our investment in women aspiring to work in collision repair,” said Tracy Bracht, 2026 Chair of WIN’s Student Relations Committee, in the release. “Student membership provides access to a number of valuable resources and opportunities to support them on their journey. These include technical courses, industry news and trends, relationship building and networking with industry leaders, and our robust scholarship program. There is no cost for student memberships, thanks to the generous support of our generous sponsors and members!”

She added that tuition costs can be a challenge for students, especially for aspiring collision repairers who also need to equip their toolboxes.

“But WIN is here to help,” Bracht said. “We now offer funding opportunities, and in some cases, provide professional shop tool kits to collision repair students to support their collective educational journeys.”

All award recipients and applicants are eligible to participate in WIN’s mentoring program, including student engagement group calls and sharing best practices with collision industry professionals and peers.

“These networking groups will support new female entrants to the collision repair field and, hopefully, create lifetime friendships that further WIN goals for longer-term career advancement and retention,” the release states.

WIN 2026 Scholarship Award Winners

Champions Level ($2,500 scholarship, mentorship, shop tools, WIN merchandise, and WIN Conference virtual pass)

• • • Angelica Briones, Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Chattanooga, Tennessee
    • Leah Clarke, Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro, North Carolina
    • Alice Cook, Collin College, Lewisville, Texas
    • Jennifer Cruz, El Camino College, Hawthorne, California
    • Courteney Lafrenz, Southeast Technical College, Larchwood, Iowa
    • Izzy Malloy, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
    • Emerald Manuel, Northeast Community College, Norfolk, Nebraska
    • Jacqueline Nguyen, Portland Community College, Hillsboro, Oregon
    • Rachel Santafemia, North Georgia Technical College, Gainesville, Georgia
    • Addison Zick, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Norristown, Pennsylvania

Trailblazers Level ($500 scholarship, mentorship, and WIN Conference virtual pass)

• • • Josephine Barbour, Wake Tech Community College, Creedmoor, North Carolina
    • Elizabeth Caspers, Rock Valley College, Belvidere, Illinois
    • Tausha French, American River College, Sacramento, California
    • Katelyn Jenkins, Palomar College, Temecula, California
    • Electra Lucero, Madison Area Technical College, Madison, Wisconsin
    • Kennedy McDaniel, Des Moines Area Community College, Des Moines, Iowa
    • Alyssa Meadows, St. Cloud Technical & Community College, East Bethel, Minnesota
    • Lisa Sanchez, Bellingham Technical, Ferndale, Vermont
    • Madison Warren, Unaka High School, Elizabethton, Tennessee

Legends Level (shop tools, WIN merchandise, mentorship, and WIN Conference virtual pass)

• • • Alexis Arjon, South Plains College, Levelland, Texas
    • Autumn Burrows, Puget Sound Skills Center, Kent, Washington
    • Emily Carroll, Hennepin Technical College, Roseville, Minnesota
    • Gabriella De Leon Humes, Lincoln College of Technology, Indianapolis, Fort Thomas, Kentucky
    • Olivia Dellinger, Wilkes Community College, Hays, North Carolina
    • Jolie Keigley, Des Moines Area Community College, Ames, Iowa
    • Tory Matthews, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Nebraska
    • Jocelyn Pandolfo, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Clark, New Jersey
    • Tia Wolffe, Kennedy King College, Homewood, Illinois
    • Taralynn Wright, Tulsa Tech, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Northern Star Level $1,000 scholarship

• • • Sophia Branco-Silva, Centennial College, Whitby, Ontario
    • Amelia Desbiens, Central Memorial High School, Calgary, Alberta
    • Kianna Edison, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Kenora, Ontario
    • Aleisha Smith, Okanagan College, Kelowna, British Columbia
    • Teila Wandowich, Red River Polytech, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Northern Star Level $500 scholarship

• • • Torrie Crowe, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta
    • Shanika Dick, Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario
    • Cassandra Foy, Red River Polytech, St. Andrews, Manitoba
    • Jordan Pomanski, Red River Polytech, Winnipeg, Manitoba
    • Evelyn Torres, Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario

To learn more about WIN’s scholarship program, visit thewomensindustrynetwork.site-ym.com/page/Scholarship.

For more information about WIN, visit womensindustrynetwork.com.

Images

Featured image: Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Student Scholarship Awards recipient Jolie Keigley.

WIN Student Scholarship Awards recipient Jacqueline Nguyen.

WIN Student Scholarship Awards recipient Leah Clark.

WIN Student Scholarship Awards recipient Olivia Dellinger.

All photos provided by WIN.