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Washington, D.C. – Union Plus recently awarded $150,000 in scholarships to 104 students representing 32 unions, including two winners representing the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). This year’s group of scholarship recipients includes university, college, and trade or technical school students from 32 states. The NALC winners are:

• Samantha Gollmer of Albion, Pa. Gollmer, whose mother, LeAnne Gollmer, is a member of NALC Branch 284, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
• Isaiah Oropeza of Santa Maria, Calif. Oropeza, whose father, Ulysses Oropeza, is a member of NALC Branch 52, has been awarded a $3,500 scholarship.

 Meet the 2016 NALC Honorees

 Samantha Gollmer

Samantha is a 2016 high school graduate who plans to begin pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness management at Penn State University this fall. An active 4-H member since middle school and a four-year Future Farmers of America member, Samantha served in a variety of FFA leadership positions and earned the prestigious Keystone Degree her senior year. She was a National Honor Society member beginning her sophomore year and spent five weeks on the Penn State campus in summer 2015 through the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Agricultural Sciences. She captained her high school track and field and cross country teams her senior year and competed at districts in cross country all four years. Samantha was the 2014 Albion Area Fair Queen, has worked at a local horse stable since 2013, and is an active volunteer through her church. Both of Samantha’s parents are union members (father, Jeffrey Gollmer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), Local 397), and she said her family has benefited greatly from union assistance. “The unions have allowed my parents to have job safety and better working conditions,” she said. “Union support has helped my family tremendously over the years, and we are grateful for what they have accomplished.”

Isaiah Oropeza

A 2016 high school graduate, Isaiah plans to study mechanical engineering. He is particularly interested in automotive engineering and aspires to work for a large automotive company. Isaiah was captain of his high school football team his junior and senior years, was a three-year starter, and was on track to play in the all-star game before a concussion ended his football career. He was a first-team all-league selection and was named a Scholar-Athlete. Isaiah said football taught him leadership skills and a “never stop” mindset. He was a National Honor Society member and a member of Freshman Connect Crew, a program that establishes mentoring relationships between upperclassmen and freshmen, and he is active in his church, teaching a children’s Sunday school class. Isaiah said his life has been positively affected by his father’s NALC membership, noting how the union protected his father’s job while he recovered from carpal tunnel surgery. “The union has allowed my father and several other family members to have reassurance and confidence in their jobs,” Isaiah said. “Without the union, they would have to deal with worries including pay cuts, being fired without proper reason, and work-related injuries without compensation.”

Learn More About the Union Plus Scholarship Program

The Union Plus Scholarship Program, now in its 25th year, awards scholarships based on outstanding academic achievement, personal character, financial need and commitment to the values of organized labor. The program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation.

Since starting the program in 1991, Union Plus has awarded more than $4 million in educational funding to more than 2,700 union members, spouses and dependent children. Union Plus Scholarship awards are granted to students attending a two-year college, four-year college, graduate school, or recognized technical or trade school. The selection process is very competitive, and this year over 5,700 applications were received from 55 unions and all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories.

Visit UnionPlus.org/Scholarship for applications and benefit eligibility.

In addition to the scholarship program, Union Plus provides a wide range of money-saving programs and services for union members and families, including discounts on wireless services from AT&T, the only nationwide unionized wireless carrier, savings on travel and recreation, and more. Go here for details.

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About Union Plus

Union Plus is a brand of Union Privilege. Backed by the AFL-CIO, the Union Plus brand promises the value, quality service and competitive cost-savings that union members deserve. Since Union Privilege started in 1986, union members and their families have expanded and tailored Union Plus programs to serve today's working families in their lives off-the-job. At Union Privilege, we are committed to improving the quality of life of working families through our unique products and services. We achieve our mission through savings, service and solidarity.