SEMA News—July 2018
By SEMA News Editors
SEMA Education: Supporting Students and Entrepreneurs
 A student meets with a potential employer during the 2017 Student Career Day at the SEMA Show. | |
Helping students pursue careers they’ll love is what the SEMA scholarship program is all about. The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund helps students seeking careers in the automotive industry pay their way through college by awarding dozens of scholarships ranging from $2,000–$5,000. Students of diverse automotive disciplines are welcome to apply during the application period, November 1, 2018–March 1, 2019.
Scholarship Eligibility Requirements
New in 2018, high-school kids and part-time college students were eligible to join the hundreds of full-time college applicants applying for SEMA scholarships. This change was part of an effort by SEMA’s Scholarship Committee to start students down the automotive path and support their studies at an earlier stage.
To be eligible to receive a scholarship, students must be U.S. citizens attending a U.S. high school or college. Students must also have a minimum 2.5 GPA and be pursuing studies leading to a career in the automotive industry or a related field. A complete application includes transcripts, a recommendation, a few open-ended responses, and an essay portion. To receive scholarship updates, visit www.sema.org/scholarships and get notified when the next application period begins.
July Pays Off
The month of July is special. That is when scholarships are distributed, and students will see the payoff in their tuition statements. Besides being awarded monetary funds for their studies, award recipients are also invited to the SEMA Show. During the trade-only Show, students can stroll through the exhibit halls and take in all that the SEMA Show has to offer. They can also partake in the Student Program, which is hosted by the SEMA education department. The program consists of keynote presentations, a series of educational seminars, networking receptions, a student career fair, and a chance to witness the biggest automotive competition of the year, the SEMA Launch Pad powered by the Young Executives Network (YEN).
Launch Pad Welcomes Young Entrepreneurs
 During the Student Career Day at the 2017 SEMA Show, students filled out applications, getting them one step closer to breaking into the automotive industry. | |
In fact, Launch Pad is another program that the SEMA education department supports. Co-hosted by YEN, Launch Pad offers 10 young entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their groundbreaking products or services to a panel of judges before thousands of people at the SEMA Show.
The competition is meant to provide young entrepreneurs with the resources needed to launch their businesses. Launch Pad is unique in that it encourages the next generation of entrepreneurs by allowing anyone from the ages of 18–39 to apply. Whether a freshman in college or a young professional, this automotive competition welcomes all who are guided by the entrepreneurial spirit.
This year’s top 10 finalists have a chance to win up to $10,000, along with other business-launching prizes. If you didn’t apply to Launch Pad this year, don’t forget to apply in spring 2019. In the meantime, view this year’s 15 semi-finalists when you visit www.sema.org/launch-pad.
Only 10 finalists will make it to the 2018 SEMA Show, so be sure to cast your vote for your favorite innovative product starting on July 30 and continuing through September 6.