FINDLAY, Ohio — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has chosen six recent high school graduates whose parents work at Cooper to receive scholarships to pursue higher education.
The top honor, the Roy V. Armes Scholarship, went to Mitchel Schroeder, 18-year-old son of Cooper Findlay headquarters employee Kim Schroeder and her husband Roy. The scholarship, worth up to $5,000 over four years, is named for former Cooper Chairman, CEO and President Roy Armes.
Five other students are receiving the Cooper Centennial Scholarships, worth $1,000 each.
"Cooper's company purpose is to help everyone travel through life's journeys with confidence, and to be there for people at every turn," Cooper Tire President Chris Ball said.
"This year, in particular, when graduating seniors had an unusual end to their school year, we're proud to celebrate the accomplishments and invest in the future of such a deserving group of students."
A salutatorian of Ottawa-Glandorf High School in Ottawa, Ohio, Mr. Schroeder intends to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Ohio State University. His mother works in distribution and operations planning at Cooper's Findlay, Ohio headquarters.
The Roy V. Armes Scholarship was established in 2016 to recognize Mr. Armes' many contributions and achievements during his decade of service at Cooper. The scholarship is focused on high-achieving students who will attend a four-year institution of higher learning to pursue careers in business or engineering.
The Cooper Centennial Scholarship is in its sixth year and was originated to commemorate the company's 100th anniversary in 2014.
Centennial Scholarship recipients are:
- Madeline Fulk, 18-year-old daughter of Beth Fulk, an engineer in Cooper's Findlay plant, and her husband Joshua. As a graduate of Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio, Ms. Fulk plans to attend Kent State University and earn a degree in architecture.
- Abigail Hatch, 18-year-old daughter of Robert Hatch, who works in original equipment sales at the firm's headquarters, and his wife Arika. Ms. Hatch graduated from Liberty-Benton High School in Findlay and intends to pursue a degree in pharmacy at the University of Findlay.
- Kyleen Hewitt, 18-year-old daughter of Jimmy Hewitt, a section manager at the Texarkana, Ark., tire plant, and his wife Crystal. Ms. Hewitt is a graduate of Fouke High School in Fouke, Ark., and plans to attend Southern Arkansas University where she will study agribusiness.
- Madeline Parmelee, 17-year-old daughter of Ray Parmelee, a Cooper master black belt working at the headquarters, and Nicole Wortman. Ms. Parmalee graduated from Liberty-Benton High School in Findlay and, this fall, will pursue a degree in biology at Siena Heights University with the intention of going to medical school.
- Maggie Rump, 18-year-old daughter of Brad Rump, who works in testing services at the headquarters, and his wife, Kara. Ms. Rump is a graduate of Ottawa-Glandorf High School in Ottawa, Ohio. She plans to attend The Ohio State University at Lima as a pre-med student.
Cooper's scholarship programs are administered by the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, an independent philanthropic agency that manages nearly 400 funds, including 115 scholarships.
To be considered for these awards, each student is required to submit an application and essay. An independent committee of the Community Foundation then selects then selects the winners.
Since the inception of these two funds, Cooper has awarded 32 students with scholarships.