Home Building News – June 2008

The Home Builders Foundation of Metropolitan Portland recently announced two Oregon college students will be awarded $8,500 in Building Industry Scholarship Competition awards from the Jim Irvine Statewide Scholarship Fund.

The fund was created as part of a statewide effort to raise awareness and access for Oregon students following careers in construction.

“These scholarships are one way the Home Builders Foundation is working to secure the future of the home building industry,” said Gary Higginbotham, Director of Marketing at Alan Mascord Design and Associates. “We’re proud to support these young people as they work to become tomorrow’s industry leaders.”

To date, the statewide awards bring the Foundation’s workforce development and educational scholarships to more than $80,000.

This year’s recipients are:

Sherry Pollard, double majoring in Building Construction Technology and BCT Design at Portland Community College, will receive a $6,000 HBF Building Industry Scholarship. (contributors are: HBF Scholarship Fund and Alan Mascord and Design Associates.)

Jeremy Rosenbloom, majoring in Building Construction Technology (with sustainability certification) at Portland Community College, will receive a $2,000 HBF Building Industry Scholarship (contributors are: HBF Scholarship Fund and Remodelor’s Council Scholarship Fund.)

To qualify for the scholarships, students must be enrolled full-time at any college, studying one of several approved programs in building and architectural fields and must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average.

Scholarship recipients are paired with mentors – builders, architects, designers, engineers, remodelers and other industry professionals who work with the students to ensure they receive relevant work experience as well as financial assistance.

“We combine financial assistance with professional experience to help develop future industry leaders,” said Foundation Director Mel Duncan. “The mentoring component is the lifeblood of our program. Students say they really appreciate the opportunity to apply what they are learning in a real life setting.”

The Building Industry Scholarship Program of Metropolitan Portland is one of three scholarship programs administered by the Home Builders Foundation. The other two are the Gary E. Milgard High School Scholarship Competition and Jim Irvine Statewide Scholarship Fund.

The Foundation Scholarship Committee, who selected the recipients, is comprised of Foundation Board members and industry volunteers from around the Portland Metro area, appointed by the Home Builders Association. The 2008 recipients will be recognized for their awards at the Foundation’s Donor Appreciation Lunch, held in August at the 2008 Street of Dreams.