FIERF is very pleased to have been entrusted with the administration of the new Forging Industry Women’s Scholarship made possible through a very generous gift of Sharon Haverstock,” said FIERF President Rob Mayer (The Queen City Forging Co.), who recently announced the program. “Her generosity provides a new opportunity to address our need to attract and train those who will be critical to the future of our companies.”

The scholarship program will award a maximum of three scholarships of up to $5,000 to women currently enrolled as full-time students in the U.S., Canada or Mexico. Eligible candidates are women pursuing an associate, baccalaureate or master’s degree in engineering, management, marketing, manufacturing or comparable area of study at an accredited university or community college. Preference will be given to students with a connection to the forging supply chain and will encourage an internship in a forging industry company.  

Haverstock, the benefactress of these scholarships, is a recently retired executive vice president of Scot Forge. During her tenure in the industry she was a tireless supporter and volunteer of the Forging Industry Association (FIA). She was a member of the association’s Marketing Committee, chaired it for a time, and also served as a director on the FIA Board of Directors and sat on the Nominating Committee.

Haverstock explained her thinking on the scholarship endowment: “I would very much like to honor the people and the industry that helped provide me with an incredibly exciting and fulfilling 32-year career in forging. So many professional, intelligent and caring FIA colleagues helped mentor and guide me over the years, and I’d like to help other women have those same meaningful experiences. By establishing this scholarship, I’m hoping to bring awareness not only to the women applicants but also to FIA member companies. Welcoming women to the industry and helping them advance and attain their full potential would bring greater diversity, talent and leadership to their individual companies and the overall industry.

Application and complete guideline information will be available each year on FIA’s website Feb. 1 with an application deadline of May 1. The scholarship’s first recipients will be announced in June.

For more information on scholarships or other activities of the Foundation, please contact Karen Lewis at 216-781-6260.