WIAA Announces Third Annual Smart Choices Scholarship Opportunity

RENTON, Wash. – (October 1, 2014) – The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), Dairy Farmers of Washington, and Les Schwab Tires are pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Smart Choices College Scholarship.

The Smart Choices Scholarship recognizes one female and one male high school student for their achievements in athletics/activities, the community, and the classroom.  The selected recipients will receive a $5,000 college scholarship that will be presented to them at the WIAA Hall of Fame Banquet held at the Renton Pavilion Event Center in May.

Beginning last year, the Dairy Farmers of Washington and Les Schwab Tires have sponsored an additional $8,000 in Smart Choices scholarship money for the remaining four finalists from each gender.  Each of the eight finalists will receive a $1,000 scholarship to the college or university of their choice.

“The generosity the Dairy Farmers of Washington and Les Schwab Tires display by increasing the scholarship money is incredible,” WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese said.  “The Association receives applications from many deserving students and the more students and WIAA member schools that can be recognized with this great initiative, the better.”

Applicants have until April 1, 2015 to submit their applications.  In addition to a series of background questions, each applicant will be required to write an essay or provide a personal statement video about “How you plan to use your education to benefit others.”  The judging criteria is based on 35 percent athletic/activity excellence, 35 percent academic achievement, 15 percent leadership, 10 percent citizenship/community service, and five percent on originality/creativity of the student’s essay or video.  The application for the Smart Choices Scholarship Fund is available online at www.wiaa.com/smartchoices. 

Representatives of the WIAA, Dairy Farmers of Washington and Les Schwab Tires determine the final scholarship awards.

“The Dairy Farmers of Washington believe it is important to support and foster opportunities for young men and women in our communities to reach their potential both on the field and in the classroom, especially since they will be tomorrow’s leaders in Washington State and across the nation.  Our co-title sponsorship of the WIAA with a respected partner like Les Schwab Tires gives the dairy producers in Washington State the opportunity to do that”, said Jeff Steele; Director of Business Development for the Dairy Farmers of Washington.

Out of nearly 400 applications in 2014, Drew Wallen of Auburn Riverside, currently attending Central Washington University and Jenna Moser of Colton, currently enrolled at the University of Washington were selected as the winning recipients in 2014.

“At Les Schwab, we believe in supporting organizations that teach lessons about responsibility, hard work and serving the community – values the company believes in,” said Andy Sherry; Regional Manager. “We’re proud of our relationships with the WIAA and the Dairy Farmers of Washington, because it does just that. And we’re excited to see the excellent opportunities that the Smart Choices scholarships provide to so many deserving students.”

About WIAA
WIAA is a membership organization of over 800 schools from every corner of the state. Member school set the structure, rules and regulations for five different activities and sixteen athletics programs at the high school and middle/junior high school level. WIAA staff helps interpret and oversee rule-making decisions and policies, assist member schools with questions and provide accessible and responsive assistance to help athletic and activities programs run smoothly. Learn more about WIAA at www.wiaa.com.

About Les Schwab
Les Schwab Tire Centers (www.lesschwab.com), headquartered in Bend, Oregon is one of the leading independent tire dealers in the United States. The Company has 6,600 employees in 450 locations throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Les Schwab founded the Company bearing his name in 1952 and quickly established a reputation for outstanding customer service. The first Les Schwab stores were opened in small towns and rural communities with one guiding principal - provide your neighbors with outstanding customer service and high quality products. This single-minded focus on servicing the customer continues today. “Pride in Performance,” a slogan coined by the founder explains each employee’s commitment to providing the best tire value to its customers and always-delivering world-class customer service.

About Dairy Farmers of Washington
The Washington Dairy Products Commission, operating as the Dairy Farmers of Washington, was created by an act of the Washington State Legislature in 1939 to promote dairy products within Washington State, and educate the public about dairy products and the dairy industry. The Commission is funded entirely by an assessment on milk production from all Washington’s approximately 480 dairy farms.

###