Donald Max Olson was very passionate about automobiles and especially working on them. He owned a repair shop named “Olson’s Automotive Inc.” for 40+ years in Mazon, Illinois. That shop serviced nearly everything you could imagine, including cars, trucks, farm equipment, and even had its very own machine shop. The garage housed a certified AC Delco auto parts store inside. The Mazon bus barn was located and serviced there, too. All of his children would find themselves there to help before and after school and even in the summers. One of Don’s children, Jonathan, has even fulfilled his dream of owning his very own auto shop in Morris. Our goal is to help provide a bit of financial help to a student who has a passion like Don’s.
Frank Grabowski always had a love for cars. Every time he visited a car show, it was like walking into his past. All growing up he would work on his father’s car trying to tune it to go faster from one stop light to the other. He took his love for cars and decided to work at the Auto Center for Sears. There he learned the ins and outs of steering and suspension, as alignments were his go-to of choice. He had a strong draw to Corvairs especially. It was estimated that in his lifetime he owned over 20 of them. His love for cars was passed on to his children who work on their own vehicles. Two of them, James and David, went off to college to obtain degrees in the automotive field. This scholarship is designed to help alleviate a small bit of financial stress when pursuing your automotive education after high school.
Seniors graduating from GAVC Automotive Tech are encouraged to apply for a scholarship honoring these two men. Two $500 scholarships are available. Students must be a high school senior currently enrolled in GAVC’s Automotive Technology Program and plan to attend a post-secondary university, college, technical, or trade school, majoring in an automotive related field. In addition to the application, students will need to submit 300-700 word essay explaining your educational goals, career goals, and motivation for pursuing a career in the automotive field; a copy of your high school transcript, and a letter of recommendation, preferably from an instructor or teacher who has overseen your work as it related to the automotive industry. Please click here to complete an online application. APPLICATION DUE DATE IS FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2024.