Two Pellissippi State students state’s only Grainger Scholarship winners

Pellissippi State Community College students Jeffrey Roller and Isaiah Maylott have each earned a $2,000 Grainger Tools for Tomorrow Scholarshipthe only recipients in Tennessee to receive the award this academic year.

Both Roller and Maylott are in the Engineering Technology degree programs Electrical Engineering concentration.

The Grainger Tools for Tomorrow Scholarship supports technical education and promotes careers in technical areas of work. Grainger is an Illinois-based distributor of facilities maintenance supplies. Upon graduating, recipients also receive $2,500 worth of Grainger hand tools, each with a lifetime replacement guarantee.

Pellissippi State is the only college in Tennessee that has students who receive this scholarship, said Peggy Wilson. Wilson is vice president of College Advancement and executive director of the Pellissippi State Foundation, which oversees the awards.

Grainger classifies Pellissippi State as a veteran-friendly college, and each student who receives a scholarship from Grainger must be a veteran.

Roller, who served in the Marine Corps and as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan, plans to finish his associates degree at Pellissippi State in 2015.

This scholarship has allowed me to continue going to college full time, he said. I can concentrate on keeping a high GPA so I can be more competitive for jobs when I graduate. Its definitely helped.

Maylott joined the Air National Guard in 2011 and is a radio frequency transmissions systems technician. He plans to graduate from Pellissippi State in 2015.

I was excited to find out that I got the scholarship, said Maylott. Ive never earned a scholarship based on military service and my grades. It was really an honor to be recognized for that. Im also definitely looking forward to getting the tool setthat will be really helpful as I look toward my future career.

Grainger is investing in the future of American industry and local communities through the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow Scholarship Program, said Russell Rumpp, Graingers market manager in Knoxville. We are proud to partner with Pellissippi State and believe business and community college partnerships are one solution to building a stronger workforce.

The Pellissippi State Foundation works to provide student scholarships and emergency loans, as well as to improve facilities and secure new equipment. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.pstcc.edu/foundation or call (865) 694-6528.

For more information about Pellissippi State and its programs, visit www.pstcc.edu or call (865) 694-6400.