WJA awards scholarships worth $20,000

Six students were selected to receive the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) scholarships this year, amongst numerous applicants across 40 schools, vying for the $20,000 worth of scholarships. The WJA scholarship committee has awarded the scholarships in two categories: Designer scholarships based upon slide entries of finished pieces and the second being Non-designer scholarships based upon essays from students training to become bench jewellers, appraisers, gemologists, retailers, and other jewellery career professionals.

Winners in the Designer Category include: $5,000 June Herman Scholarship was awarded to Sara Gallo-Cornell – Millersville University of Pennsylvania for her Pink Barbie Shoe Necklace. Hyeyeon Park– Rhode Island School of Design was awarded $3,500 Scholarship for her Shoulder Wood Brooch. A $3,500 Scholarship went to Jungwha Kim – Long Beach City College for her Necklace created with abstract organic forms on metal, $2,500 Scholarship to Avery Lucas – University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth for her ‘A Tool for Self Inspection’, and $2,000 Scholarship to April Field – University of the Arts-Philadelphia.

Winners in the non-designer category include: Brittany Cox – West Dean College, Conservation of Clocks winning $3,500 Scholarship, and is WJA’s first recipient enrolled in a program outside the United States.

The scholarship funds were generated through donations and purchases during the WJA silent auction held in conjunction with the group's annual Awards for Excellence Gala. This year, the said event is slated on July 26, 2010 at Chelsea Pier in New York City.