The Clifford H. “Ted” Rees Jr. Scholarship Foundation has given scholarship awards totaling $58,200 to 36 students and four veterans who are studying to become technicians in the HVACR and water heating industry.

“We are pleased to award scholarships to these qualified and dedicated students and veterans, and hope to eventually welcome them into the industry,” said AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek. “Each year, the foundation provides aid to an increasing number of recipients, helping to promote careers in the industry and fill good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced.”

The Rees Scholarship Foundation is a nonprofit arm of the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Since 2003, the nonprofit has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to nearly 300 students and instructors.

“Developing quality workers is a critical initiative that everyone in our industry is working together to accomplish,” said ACCA President and CEO Paul T. Stalknecht. “We are proud to partner with the Rees Scholarship Foundation and AHRI to give these hard-working students and veterans scholarships to help them continue their education, which will develop into a strong workforce for our industry’s future.”

HVACR and water heating technician program scholarship recipients include:

• Chandler Accardo at ITI Technical College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Jorge Angulo at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, Colorado
• Cameo Banks at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, Colorado
• Mehran Beheshti at Intercoast College in Rancho Cordova, California
• Duraunte Colly at Intercoast College in Rancho Cordova, California
• Eugene Crutcher at Moore Tech in Memphis, Tennessee
• Karin Dahlin at Minneapolis Community and Technical College in Minneapolis
• Heath Dixon at Northwest Shoals Community College in Muscles Shoals, Alabama
• Timothy Dunegan at Green Country Technology Center in Okmulgee, Oklahoma
• John Gisonna at Penn College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania 
• Justin Heavner at MIAT College of Technology in Canton, Mississippi
• Doug Ingersoll at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Illinois
• Dylan Jackson at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan
• Richard Karimi-Hosseini at Brownson Technical School in Anaheim, California
• Kristen Kimmel at LoneStar College-North Harris in Houston
• Benjamin Mayfield at Bevill State Community College in Sumiton, Alabama
• Steve McDonald at Ivy Tech in Lafayette, Indiana
• Tristan Nairmore at Bevill State Community College in Hamilton, Alabama
• Samuel Ocampo Martinez at Minneapolis Community & Technical College in Minneapolis
• Doug Olson at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa
• Alexander Pitt at Intercoast College in Fairfield, California
• Adam Reynolds at InterCoast College in Sacramento, California
• Austin Reynolds at Pennsylvania School of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
• Domingo Rodriguez at Intercoast in Sacramento, California
• Jamison Sholander at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan
• Carmica Ussery at J.F. Drake State Community and Technical  College in Huntsville, Alabama
• Andre Wilson at Galveston College Applied Technology Center in Galveston, Texas
• Daniel Wipf at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa

Veterans program scholarship recipients include:

• Christopher Oja at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan
• Shilo Tharp at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa

SkillsUSA Championship winners and scholarship recipients include:

• Michael Cain at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan
• Blaine Feeler at State Technical College of Missouri in Linn, Missouri
• Raymond Leidinger at Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Texas
• Matthew Peterson at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa
• Steven Stewart at The Refrigeration School in Phoenix
• Ethan Tucker at Red River Technology Center in Duncan, Oklahoma