Kayla Horrocks, office assistant of Idaho Water Sports in Burley, Idaho, and full-time student at Boise State University, has been selected as the recipient of the second annual MRAA Marine Industry College Scholarship, announced the MRAA Educational Foundation yesterday. The scholarship was presented to Kayla on Sunday evening, Dec. 10, during the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Opening Night Awards Celebration at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
Recommended by college personnel as a person of high integrity and professionalism, Kayla is actively involved in community service events, including Project Rudolph and the annual Cinco De Mayo Festival. In addition, Kayla has a busy schedule as a full-time employee and full-time student who is putting herself through school. However, she makes sure to find time to enjoy her newly found passion for watersports.
The Marine Industry College Scholarship is made possible by the generosity of Priority One Financial Services, the Boater Rewards Association and the MRAA Educational Foundation. It offers Retail Members of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, their employees, and their dependents the opportunity to apply for a $5,000 college scholarship to financially assist in the training and education of those working in or planning for a career in the marine industry. For applicants to be considered for the scholarship, they must display a passion for the boating lifestyle, be preparing for or currently engaged in a career in the recreational boating business, and show evidence of enrollment in an accredited college, university or post-secondary technical school program.
In her scholarship application, Horrocks shared how much she enjoys her work, where no two days are the same, and how proud she is to be the first person in her family to attend college. She wrote, “It is so empowering to grow and become someone I have always dreamt of. Winning this award would be such a blessing for me.”
“It’s nice to see someone new to boating immerse themselves so fully into the boating lifestyle,” says Jeff Siems, president of the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors. “We believe awarding Kayla this scholarship will further fuel her passion for the industry, and that passion will transfer to those around her.”
About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades.For more information or to donate to support the foundation’s mission, visit MRAA.com/foundation.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.
