Wed November 11 02:00 pm 2020 in category Company news
Nokian Tyres Scholars Thriving in College; Company Announces 2021 Scholarships
Nokian Tyres scholars Saeri Goins and Crista Brumberlow are off to strong starts in their college careers, and applications are open for this year’s scholarship competition
Crista Brumberlow and Saeri Goins never imagined their first year of college would be like this. How could anyone have known how 2020 would turn out? But like the rest of society, the college freshmen from Rhea County are picking up the pieces of a pandemic-driven year and making the most of the situation.
And both students are thriving, thanks in part to support from Nokian Tyres.
Brumberlow and Goins both proceeded with their plans to live on campus. Crista is at The University of Tennessee at Martin pursuing an engineering major. Saeri is studying biology with a pre-med focus at UT-Chattanooga. Both say college has been challenging and rewarding, even if learning has taken a different form than they expected.
“I wanted to have as much of the college experience as I can,” said Brumberlow, who is taking all but two classes online due to the pandemic. “I’m making the best out of the difficult times and finding ways to make my restricted college life entertaining.”
“My professor said if not for COVID-19 and doing class the way we are, everyone’s grades would be five points higher,” said Goins. “We’re on back-to-back digital calls all day, so you really have to learn time management. It has made us better students.”
Both students are succeeding thanks to a strong sense of purpose and support from their community, including Nokian Tyres. Both received scholarship awards from Nokian Tyres as part of the Southeast Tennessee tire manufacturer’s education and sustainability initiative, the Nokian Tyres Road to Sustainable Success.
Nokian Tyres is now welcoming applications for its 2020-21 scholarships – two $2,500 one-time awards for Rhea County High School seniors. Interested students can visit MyScholarship.app/NokianTyres.
“College is really expensive, and the scholarship is helping,” Goins said.
“The Nokian Tyres scholarship allowed me to have enough scholarships to cover my tuition so I can continue to save my money for future college expenses,” said Brumberlow.
Goins and Brumberlow are driven by the desire for personal growth – but also personal responsibility. Their passion for the planet helped them earn scholarships from Nokian Tyres, a global leader in sustainability that recently earned LEED v4 Silver certification at its factory in Dayton, Tennessee. The students have lived out their own eco-friendly mentalities during the early days of their college careers.
“I did a lot of research when I applied for the Nokian Tyres Scholarship, and I became more environmentally conscious,” said Goins. “I’ve gotten into healthy habits like saving water, using metal straws and wooden toothbrushes.”
Brumberlow is joining a group called Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a global movement to promote ecological farming and sustainability practices.
“I want to volunteer in this organization so I can travel and learn more about the cultures of different areas and understand more about organic agriculture,” she said.
Despite the rigors of online classes and social distancing, both students have found time for fun. Goins joined a sorority and Brumberlow has plunged headlong into campus life, even as both college newcomers adhere to social distancing policies.
“I love living in a community where you can pursue your career, exercise at the gym, have a job and make friends all in one place,” said Brumberlow. “I love to ride my longboard on campus; I’ve met a lot of other skaters. We created a group to meet up and ride around campus.”
“During the pandemic we can’t hang out or do much, but talking to people in my classes and in my sorority has been a great way to meet people,” Goins said. “We’ve only been on campus for two months and they’re already my best friends.”
As Goins and Brumberlow pursue success in college and beyond, one thing appears clear: They’re striving for that success to be sustainable.
“I enjoy learning new concepts,” said Brumberlow. “I am looking forward to next semester when I start my engineering classes.”
“I was nervous about college, but there was no reason to be,” Goins said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it in the end.”
Rhea County High School seniors who are interested in applying for this year’s Nokian Tyres Scholarships can apply at MyScholarship.app/NokianTyres. Anyone interested in learning more about Nokian Tyres’ Dayton, Tennessee factory can visit NokianTires.comDaytonFactory.