Whiting, a student at Pennsylvania College of Technology, is changing careers to air conditioning and refrigeration after working more than 14 years as a welder. He is an active member in the student chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) and a member of the National Honor Society.

Witz, an honor student at Minneapolis Community Technical College, has also decided to move into a new career in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry after working for a number of years in the corporate world.

Rees Scholarships are paid directly to the school or institution and can be used for tuition, books, and supplies. The scholarship is named for Clifford H. "Ted" Rees Jr., who served as president of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) from 1994 through 2001.

Students are eligible if they attend, or plan to attend, an HVACR training program at an institutionally accredited school. Students are encouraged to attend training programs that have earned the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA) or an institution that requires the Industry Competency Exam (ICE).

The deadline for applicants for next year's scholarships is Nov. 1, 2005. Applications are available at www.reesscholarship.org or by writing Rees Scholarship Foundation, 4100 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22203. Applicants must demonstrate education potential by completing a form showing prior education, work history/military service, two letters of recommendation, and a 150-word typed essay on why they should be awarded a scholarship.

Publication date: 01/24/2005