AASPMN Awards Scholarships to Collision Repair Students
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASPMN) awarded 23 scholarships totaling $20,000 to help automotive service and collision repair students pay for tuition or tools during the 2026-27 school year.
The scholarships range from $500-$2,000 each and are made possible by the generous donation from the Minnesota State I-CAR Committee, as well as proceeds from AASPMN’s Annual Race for Automotive Education fundraiser.
Forty-one college and high school students from 17 schools submitted applications. The applications were reviewed by a committee of industry representatives, with consideration given to scholastic achievement, education and career goals, financial need, and written recommendations.
Collision repair recipients include:
- Ryan Cardinal, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount – Collision Repair Technology
- Yahir Lira, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount – Collision Repair Technology
- Johnathon Lund, Century College, White Bear Lake – Collision Repair Technology
- Anthony Urzua, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount – Collision Repair Technology
- Justin Warneke, Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park – Collision Repair Technology
- Esther Whittlef, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount – Collision Repair Technology
The scholarship awards are the centerpiece of AASPMN’s Automotive Education Fund, which was established to provide financial resources to support automotive students, enhance automotive programs and raise awareness of career opportunities in the independent automotive service industry.