press@nrf.com Learn more about the 2014 Ray Greenly Scholarship recipients. NRF Foundation Names 25 Semi-Finalists for Ray Greenly Scholarship Scholarship Created to Identify, Cultivate and Grow Digital Retail Talent WASHINGTON, July 22, 2014 Twenty-five undergraduate and graduate students from across the country studying everything from marketing and economics to politics have been selected by the NRF Foundation as semi-finalists for its Ray Greenly Scholarship. Each student will receive a trip to Shop.orgs Annual Summit and Student Program in September where they will be treated to exclusive networking opportunities with retail CEOs and senior executives, and are now in the running to be named a top-five finalist and potential recipient of either a $10,000 or $25,000 educational scholarship. The Ray Greenly Scholarship provides financial support to students pursuing a degree in fields most relevant to the rapidly-growing careers in digital retail such as engineering, computer science, marketing, business, e-commerce and economics. From digital marketing and e-commerce managers, to user-experience designers, social media analysts, and engineers, retail offers incredible digital careers to students, said NRF Foundation Executive Director and NRF Senior Vice President Ellen Davis. The Ray Greenly Scholarship is one way we are finding and fostering young digital retail talent, which will be hugely important for the future of our industry.
We are extremely thrilled to recognize the top 25 and look forward to seeing them thrive in their retail careers for years to come.
As part of the application process, each recipient was required to submit a case study project in addition to two essays on their career aspirations and retail innovations. This allowed the students to demonstrate new ways to connect customers to brands and products. In July, more than a dozen digital retail executives and industry insiders will select five finalists from the list of 25 students based on the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated in their submitted applications. A panel of retail and executive judges will interview the five finalists on September 28 at the Shop.org Summit in Seattle, selecting four $10,000 recipients and a top recipient of the $25,000 scholarship. The students below have been named semi-finalists for the 2014 Ray Greenly Scholarship. To learn more about these students, visit https://nrf.com/career-center/scholarships/ray-greenly- scholarship/class-of-2014. . Name Hometown School Degree Olufisayo Akanni Naperville, IL Kent State University B.S. Fashion Merchandising Anjali Bhatia Kinnelon, NJ University of Pennsylvania M.B.A. Sarah Bitticks Pasadena, CA FIDM/ Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising B.S. in Business Management Bailey Blakkolb Redlands, CA FIDM/ Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising A.A. Merchandise Marketing Evan Chisholm New York, NY Fashion Institute of Technology A.A.S/B.S. Fashion Merchandising Management Christian Cortes Pinecrest, FL University of Pennsylvania B.S. Economics Andrew Crewson Evanston, IL Northwestern University M.B.A. Elizabeth Engele Nashville, IL University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign B.S.B.A. Supply Chain Management and Marketing Emily Gao Bedford, MA University of Pennsylvania B.A. Communication and Commerce Grace Jun Great Neck, NY Parsons The New York School M.F.A. Sarah Kendzior Mukwonago, WI University of Minnesota: Twin Cities B.S. Retail Merchandising Christina Lau East Brunswick, NJ Fashion Institute of Technology A.A.S/B.S. Fashion Merchandising Management Sophia Maltesen Stanford, CA Stanford University B.S. Science, Technology and Society Alexandre Marr Poland, OH Kent State University M. Fashion Erika Mayiras Kent, OH Kent State University B.A. Technical Fashion Design Nelly Mensah Cambridge, MA MIT M.B.A. Khuyen Nguyen Denton, TX University of North Texas B.S. Merchandising and Digital Retailing Ana Prodanovic Naples, FL Drexel University B.S. Design and Merchandising Brittany Randolph Hamburg, NY Kent State University B.S. Fashion Merchandising Erika Renstrom Sleepy Hollow, NY Fashion Institute of Technology A.A.S/B.S. Fashion Merchandising Management Carlin Rhea Coppell, TX Texas A&M University B.B.A. in Marketing Adriana Solis Sachse, TX University of North Texas B.S. Merchandising and Digital Retailing Natalie Swart Southlake, TX Texas A&M University B.B.A. in Marketing Edward Wu Arcadia, CA University of Pennsylvania M. Integrated Product Design Emilie Wurmser Key Biscayne, FL Georgia Institute of Technology B.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering The Ray Greenly Scholarship was established to honor the memory of a former Shop.org vice president who lost his battle with cancer in the fall of 2005. His generous and kind spirit inspired NRF to establish a scholarship that provides financial support to students pursuing a degree in fields most relevant to digital retail such as engineering, computer science, marketing, business, e-commerce and economics. The NRF Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the National Retail Federation, shaping retails future by building awareness of the industry through statistics and stories; developing talent through education, experiences and scholarships; and fostering career growth among people who work in retail. https://nrf.com/who-we-are/nrf-foundation ###