Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
1 NW OOIDA Drive, Grain Valley, MO  64029
Web site: www.ooida.com
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Contact: Norita Taylor, norita_taylor@ooida.com 
Headquarters: (816) 229-5791

For Immediate Release

OOIDA scholarship program announces selection of year 2010 OOIDA scholars

(Grain Valley, Mo., July 1, 2010) – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has chosen recipients for the 2010 Mary Johnston Scholarship and proudly announces the names along with sponsor Shell Rotella.

The application process challenged applicants to compose a 500-word essay about how a trucker has influenced their lives, the way that their educational goals reflect their personalities and suggestions for how OOIDA can improve the public image of professional truck drivers.

Scholarships are available for children, grandchildren and legal dependents of OOIDA members. Shell Rotella donated $10,000 to the scholarship fund for the second year in a row. The scholarship fund also received a contribution of $2,000 from an anonymous donor who has supported the fund in the past.

	This year’s first-place winner is Logan Mahalek of Garland, Neb., the grandson of OOIDA Life Member Wesley Dean Wills. Logan plans to major in diesel technology at Southeast Community College in Milford, Neb. He receives a $2,000 scholarship for his first year of school, which he can renew for another three years for a total amount of $8,000.
Winners of the four $1,000 scholarships this year, in alphabetical order, are:
	Jack Horn of Granby, Colo. The son of OOIDA member J. Scot Horn, he plans to study agriculture production at the University of Nebraska – College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Neb.
	Season Kenlyn Wyatt of Gas City, Ind. The granddaughter of OOIDA Life Member Robert D. “Gramps” Raypholtz, she plans to study nuclear and chemical engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
	Alex J. Lindenstein of Gibbon, Neb. The son of OOIDA Member Kevin Lindenstein, he plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming at Laramie.
	Benjamin R. Suiter of Mount Carroll, Ill.The son of OOIDA Member Steven Suiter, he plans to study business at Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill.

Runner-up for a $1,000 scholarship is Joshua D. Booker of Seminary, Miss. Joshua is the son of OOIDA member Stephen A. Booker. He plans to study engineering or instrumental technology at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the largest national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The Association currently has nearly 155,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, Mo., area.

1 NW OOIDA Dr.
Grain Valley, MO 64029
e-mail: ooida@ooida.com
Website: ooida.com

Fax (816) 427-4468
Local (816) 229-5791
Toll Free (800) 444-5791

OOIDA Foundation Scholarship Program