CHICAGO, May 20, 2014—The Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) and its industry partners have awarded 173 aftermarket scholarships and 55 additional awards to students in or entering post-secondary automotive educational programs.
The announcement was made during the opening address of GAAS on Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago.
GAAS is dedicated to offering educational opportunities to those looking to enter the automotive aftermarket industry. In addition to its fundraising efforts, all proceeds from the annual symposium go to aftermarket scholarships and awards.
The GAAS scholarship program had 607 applicants for its 2014 scholarships, 87 percent of which are studying to become automotive technicians.
And GAAS is off to a record fundraising pace, said Pete Kornafel, chairman of the GAAS Scholarship Committee, in his address to those in attendance. In addition to the 228 scholarships and awards announced Tuesday, there will be 11 other organizations to give awards through the program this year.
The symposium is an annual, two-day event, running through Wednesday. More information on the event and its scholarship program can be found on the GAAS website.