The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association (PHCC) Educational Foundation recently announced the winners of its 2024 scholarship program. Fifty-five students were selected to receive scholarship awards totaling $129,000.
Applicants had to be plumbing or HVAC apprentices or trade school students, or college students pursuing studies directly related to the plumbing-heating-cooling industry. This year’s set of winners includes 39 apprentices, four trade school students and 12 college students.
“I am so proud of these scholarship winners, and the variety of winners is great to see,” says Patrick Wallner, foundation chair who is with Wallner Plumbing in Redding, California. “We have the usual young people making their choice to get their career started in the trades, but we also have some older folks who decided to make plumbing and HVAC their second career and are loving it.”
“I thank you for giving an older apprentice like me the chance to further my plumbing career,” wrote apprentice Leonard Digiantomasso of Havertown, Pennsylvania, in a thank-you note to foundation donors. He is enrolled in the PHCC of Pennsylvania plumbing apprenticeship training program.
This was also the first year for a new scholarship reserved for military veterans sponsored by the Gil Meyerowitz estate, and a set of awards for Hispanic and Latino applicants sponsored by the Ferguson Cares Foundation.
The foundation extends congratulations to all winners and thanks the contractor donors and corporate sponsors who make the awards possible. Additional sponsorships are provided by A.O. Smith, Bradford White Corporation, Delta Faucet Company, InSinkErator, RIDGID, Scorpion Home Services Marketing, State Water Heaters, Sterling (a Kohler brand), SupplyHouse.com, the Texas and Massachusetts PHCC Auxiliaries, the PHCC Past National Officers, Bill Jones, and Gerry Kennedy. Funding is also provided by the generous donations made by PHCC contractors.
The 2025 PHCC Educational Foundation scholarship program will open for applications in January, with all submission materials due by May 1. Information on the scholarship program, plus full details on all 2024 scholarship winners, photos and thank-you notes can be found at phccfoundation.org/scholarships.
