Binc Announces Eight Winners of 2019 Higher Education Scholarships

The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation has chosen eight winners to receive scholarships as part of Binc’s 2019 Higher Education Scholarship Program. The winners are Anah Redding of Booksmith; Colin Blumer of Sassafras on Sutton; Mary Glenn of Pioneer Book; Sophia Glenn of Pioneer Book; Hannah Guter of Barnes & Noble; Rebecca Keith of Books-A-Million; Anna Leedy of BrightLight Books; and Samantha Melton of Borders.

The winners were selected from a slate of 51 applicants. The aspiring college students received a total of $29,500 in scholarships, with seven $3,500 grants going to dependents of booksellers, and one $5,000 Karl Pohrt Memorial Scholarship granted to a current independent bookstore employee who has overcome learning adversity or is a non‐traditional student.

Winners will be attending colleges and universities in California, Florida, South Carolina, Illinois, Alabama, Utah, and Michigan and studying a vast range of subjects, including music, nursing, psychology, marketing, and graphic design. Their scholarships can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and room and board. 

“We were thrilled to learn of Colin’s scholarship!” said Susanne Blumer, owner of the bookstore Sassafras on Sutton in Black Mountain, North Carolina. “Binc was one of the first to call me when the roof of my bookstore collapsed last December and now they are helping us with our son’s college. We love Binc and we love this industry!”

Binc Executive Director Pam French said it has been continually rewarding to help booksellers’ families achieve their educational and professional goals. In all, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation has supported the educational goals of more than 700 booksellers, granting over $2 million in awards since 2001; more information about the 2019 scholarship winners can be found here.

“For 18 years, Binc has helped ease the cost of a college education for booksellers’ families,” said French. “Reading about the scholarship winners and their educational goals is always inspiring.”

Scholarship America (Scholarship Management Services) conducted the third‐party academic selection process to evaluate the scholarship applicants. Criteria included financial need, prior academic achievement, and leadership capabilities (including participation in school and community activities) as well as work experience, a statement of career and educational goals and objectives, and unusual personal or family circumstances.

Bookstore employees can learn how their dependents can apply for the 2020 Higher Education Scholarship Program when information is released early next year.