PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rent-A-Center, Inc. today announced the recipients of its Make-A-Difference Scholarship Program, in which $60,000 was awarded to 60 high school and undergraduate students across the country.
Program officials said they chose scholarship recipients based on a number of factors including academic and non-academic accomplishments, community activities, work experience, and educational and career goals. Out of the 250 applications, 20 recipients were coworker dependents, while the remaining 40 were either customers of Rent-A-Center or their children.
Juan Mercado, the son of an assistant manager of a Rent-A-Center, Inc. owned Get It Now store in Walworth, Wis., was happy about receiving the award.
"My mother cannot help me with my expenses because of the rent and basic bills that she needs to pay,” wrote Mercado in an email. “This scholarship will be used to fill the missing gap for my college expenses. I am very grateful to receive this scholarship and thankful for Rent-A-Center."
Scholarship beneficiaries must pursue their first undergraduate degree at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, vocational school or technical school in the United States or Puerto Rico.
Rent-A-Center has donated more than $730,000 to hundreds of students through the Make-A-Difference Scholarship established in 2004.
“Supporting and empowering our customers, their children and our coworkers’ children is an investment in our future,” said Gina Hethcock, Rent-A-Center’s senior public and community relations manager. “Our goals are to help students get a step ahead and give back to our customers and coworkers for their loyalty and support.”
This year’s recipients were chosen from all Rent-A-Center, Inc. divisions including Get It Now, AcceptanceNOW and Rent-A-Center Franchising.
The following is a list of recipients who have given permission for their names to be used in media:
| Mikalyia Trice, Abbeville, Ala. |
| Terrence Henderson, Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Bobbie Hogue, Merced, Calif. |
| Marlia Maniatis, Santa Ana, Calif. |
|
Cheyenne Mahon, Tamarac, Fla. |
| Jessica Trosper, Northwood, Iowa |
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Lissette Salas Hernandez, Ligonier, Ind. |
| Jolivette Williams, Shreveport La. |
| Jennifer Moore, Bradley, Maine |
|
Tyler Gray, W. Farmington, Maine |
| Emma Baxter, Randolph, N.J. |
| Jada Solomon, Newark, N.J. |
|
Julia Rushlow, Norfolk, N.Y. |
| Harlee Rush, Roseville, Ohio |
| Kyla Ibarra, Muskogee, Okla. |
|
McKenzie Gladney, Roland, Okla. |
| Christy Ridolfo, Chalfont, Pa. |
| Tyra Johnson, Cordova, Tenn. |
| Latoya Johnson, Fort Worth, Texas |
| Berenice Hinostroza, Dallas, Texas |
| Jason Maynard, Huntington, W. Va. |
| Katlynne Hytrek, Saratoga, Wyo. |
|
Benito Komadina, Jr., Woolwich, N.J. |
| Abbigael Denman, The Colony, Texas |
| Julia Vasilyev, Frisco, Texas |
| Michael Vasilyev, Frisco, Texas |
| Shoshana Zhang, Frisco, Texas |
| Juan Mercado, Walworth, Wis. |
| Giovanni Knight, Chesapeake, Va. |
| Logan Matthews, Wilmington, N.C. |
| Stephanie Ibarra, Marana, Ariz. |
Applications for Rent-A-Center’s Make-A-Difference Scholarship 2018 begin this December. For more information visit: http://usascholarships.com/rent-center-make-difference-scholarship-program/
A rent-to-own industry leader, Plano, Texas-based, Rent-A-Center, Inc. is focused on improving the quality of life for its customers by providing them the opportunity to obtain ownership of high-quality, durable products such as consumer electronics, appliances, computers, furniture and accessories, under flexible rental purchase agreements with no long-term obligation.
