WithIt Awards $36,000 In Student Tuition Scholarships

The WithIt Scholarship Foundation, a 501-C3 nonprofit organization that provides scholarships that will advance the careers of women pursuing an education in the furniture industry, has awarded $36,000 in various amounts to students for the 2024-25 school year. A total of 17 college sophomores and juniors studying for degrees in the home furnishings industry and one woman from the industry received the scholarship funding. 

WithIt received a total of $45,000 from the Heritage Home Group Charitable Trust for tuition scholarships and to allow student scholars the opportunity to attend the WithIt Annual Professional Conference, June 10-12 in Greenville, S.C. where 14 students were recognized.  

Scholarship recipients are chosen through a committee convened by WithIt’s vice president of scholarship. The committee is responsible for reviewing application materials and choosing recipients. To date, WithIt has awarded $283,000 in tuition scholarships since its inception.  

“Any opportunity to provide more resources to students, especially women in a male-dominated industry so we can showcase our own abilities is critical for our industry,” said Paris Gholston, vice president of scholarship at WithIt and customer relations and compliance coordinator at the Mattress Recycling Council. “During the first round of scholarships, I saw there were incredible women out there with great ideas and they deserve everything they can get to showcase those ideas and their brilliance.” 

In addition to the general scholarship recipients, Grace Avery, a textile design major studying at N.C. State University, received the Jena and Stephen Hall Scholarship, awarded annually to recognize the highest-achieving student. 

The other recipients are as follows:  

• Ashlee Lowe, business administration, High Point University 
• Ashley Garcia Martinez, interior design, Randolph Community College 
• Charlene Garcia, interior design, Randolph Community College 
• Elayna Brown, interior design, Randolph Community College 
• Faith Kiss, interior design, Salem College 
• Haley Grimbeek, industrial design, Appalachian State University 
• Ihsan Mohammed, interior design, Meredith College 
• Katarina Jovic, interior design, New York School of Interior Design 
• Kristie Butcher, interior design and architecture, Randolph Community College 
• Kristy Larabee, interior design, Randolph Community College 
• Lauren Koster, interior design, Western Carolina University 
• Mary Abigail Streble, interior design, Forsyth Technical Community College 
• Natalie Mangen, architecture, Savannah College of Art and Design 
• Rebecca Grace Porterfield, textile design, N.C. State University 
• Sarah Marie Johnson, interior design, Randolph Community College 
• Skyler Trogdon, interior design, Randolph Community College 

Billie J. Rhinehart, Home by Hart, received a continuing education scholarship to complete her bachelor’s degree in interior design at the Maryville University of Saint Louis.