Cyr awarded GAAS scholarship

    The Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) Scholarship Committee announced that Aaron Cyr, a resident of Houlton, is a recipient of a 2008 GAAS scholarship funded by Zurich. Cyr will be attending Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle. GAAS is an annual symposium where the automotive aftermarket industry comes together in one place at one time to hear top industry figures present their points of view about the trends taking place today and down the road in the next five years.
    GAAS scholarships, each at the amount of $1,000, were awarded 115 students in 2008, representing 105 students in the U.S. and 10 in Canada. To be eligible for a GAAS scholarship, applicants must be enrolled full-time in a college-level program or an ASE/NATEF (National Automotive Technician Education Foundation) certified automotive technician program. The GAAS scholarship is also unique in that recipients who graduate from their program and show proof of employment as a technician in the automotive aftermarket for at least six months after graduation can receive a second matching grant.
    The awards included GAAS scholarships funded by donations from the University of the Aftermarket Foundation, ASC Industries and R.L. Polk & Company, the Breslow Foundation, the Michael Busch Memorial Fund, the Automotive Parts & Services Association and from industry contributions from individuals, companies and foundations.
    GAAS scholarship applications for 2009 will be online at www.automotivescholarships.com beginning in September. The deadline for submitting 2009 scholarship applications is Tuesday, March 31, 2009. GAAS 2009 is set for Wednesday and Thursday, May 6-7, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago, Ill. For more information, visit www.globalsymposium.org.