Press Release

For Immediate Release

OOIDA Announces 2023 Scholarship Recipients

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association announced the recipients of this year’s Mary Johnston Scholarship. Since 1998, the fund has awarded approximately $400,000 to students who are the children, grandchildren or legal dependents of OOIDA members.

Five top scholars were chosen for this honor. To apply, the students were asked to submit a 500-word reflection essay on how a trucker has influenced their life, the way their educational goals resonate with their personalities and to entertain what changes they see occurring down the road that might improve the trucking industry.

Each year, one $2,000 scholarship and four $1,000 scholarships are awarded. An alternate is also named each year. The funds are transferred directly to the student’s selected institution and can be renewed for a total of four years.

Here are the winners for this year and their respective resident cities:

Tadan Alvarado
Flatonia, Texas
The winner of this year’s $2,000 scholarship, Tadan Alvarado, son of OOIDA member Michael Alvarado, is the second member of his family to earn a Mary Johnston Scholarship. Tadan plans to pursue a career as a diesel mechanic and will attend Texas State Technical College in Rosenberg, Texas.

$1,000 winners
Quenton C. Heisler
Humboldt, Kan.

He is the son of OOIDA member Kevin Heisler and plans to attend Southeast Community College in Milford, Neb. and pursue a career as a diesel mechanic.

William Pfister
Long Pine, Neb.

He is the son of OOIDA senior member Duane Pfister and plans to major in machining and manufacturing automation and welding at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb.

Shoshana Keim
Warsaw, Ind.

Daughter of OOIDA member Bryan Keim, Shoshana Keim is studying biochemistry at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Morgan Gilbert
Eau Claire, Wis. 

For Morgan Gilbert, daughter of OOIDA member Brian Gilbert, is enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and majoring in animal science,

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