WILMINGTON, Mass. () – UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in providing customized work uniform programs, corporate attire, and facility service products, recently announced the 2020 recipients of their Aldo Croatti and Ronald D. Croatti Scholarships.
“UniFirst has always put an emphasis on helping progress the careers of our valued Team Partners,” said Steven Sintros, president and CEO of UniFirst. “Helping members of our UniFirst family accomplish their educational goals has been a longtime tradition at our company, firmly established by our founder, Aldo Croatti, and later solidified by his son and former CEO Ron Croatti. These scholarship programs allow us to carry on the legacies of our past leaders.”
The Aldo Croatti Scholarship, established in 2004 to assist children of UniFirst Team Partners in their academic pursuits, is aptly named after Aldo Croatti, who founded UniFirst in Boston, MA, in 1936. Since the scholarship was established in 2004, UniFirst has granted nearly $400,000 to worthy scholars.
Each year, 12 Aldo Croatti Scholarships are awarded to students enrolled or enrolling in full-time undergraduate studies at an accredited two- or four-year college or vocational/technical school. Applications are open to children of full-time UniFirst or UniFirst subsidiary Team Partners who have a minimum of one year of employment with the company.
The 2020 Aldo Croatti Scholarship recipients, who collectively received $24,000 toward their education goals, are as follows:
- Abbygale Allen | Pikeville, NC | Wake Technical Community College
- Courtney Anthony | Lower Burrell, PA | Shenandoah University
- Kathy Bui | Calgary, AB | University of Calgary
- Caleb Gramm | Horton, MI | Lansing Community College
- Marisa Hamman | Salem, NH | University of New England
- Ryan Haney | Nashua, NH | Southern New Hampshire University
- Liliana Hernandez | Compton, CA | University of California: Irvine
- Madison Lowder | Davidson, NC | Wingate University
- Hannah Mertz | Salina, KS | Hutchinson Community College
- Mia Rivera | Haslet, TX | Texas Tech University
- Hunter Rooney | Hollywood, MD | Towson University
- Cortlyn Wolfe | Topeka, KS | Baker University
The Ronald D. Croatti Scholarship was named after Aldo’s son, Ronald Croatti, who took over executive leadership of the company from 1991 until his passing in 2017. This scholarship offers financial assistance to full-time UniFirst Team Partners who enroll in full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college or vocational/technical school for an entire academic year. Since being established in 2015, UniFirst has provided about $170,000 worth of these scholarships.
The Ronald D. Croatti Scholarship recipients, who collectively received $36,500 toward their education goals, are as follows:
- Bob Bastien | Columbus, OH | Columbus State Community College
- Brandon Craft | Concord, NC | Purdue University Global: Indianapolis
- Todd Culberson | Ooltewah, TN | Bryan College: Dayton
- Lisa DeNicola | Saugus, MA | Salem State University
- Kelly Fairchild | Summerfield, FL | Grand Canyon University
- Sarah Gillis | Wilmington, MA | Southern New Hampshire University
- Robert Keiser | Seabrook, NH | Southern New Hampshire University
- Alexis Maddox | Owensboro, KY | Brescia University
- Christopher Mercado | Glendora, CA | Western Governors University
- Cody Moore | Anaheim, CA | West Texas A&M University
- Lakeisha Sherman | Owensboro, KY | Owensboro Community Tech College
- Robert Shumway | Houston, TX | Houston Community College System
- Michael Wright | Matthews, NC | Rivier University
“I’m honored to receive this scholarship,” said Ronald D. Croatti Scholarship recipient Michael Wright. “Four years ago, when I was awarded the General Manager position at UniFirst–Charlotte, Ron told me he expected two things from me. The first was to treat our fellow Team Partners like family and the second was to continue my education. To learn more about business and to be the best leader I could be. I hope he would be proud of how I have treated our Charlotte Team Partners and that I’m also going back for my MBA to continue my business understanding and contribute to our company’s success.”
About UniFirst
Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, as well as the delivery of facility service programs. Together with its subsidiaries, the company also provides first aid and safety products, and manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products; and with 260 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations, and 14,000 employee Team Partners, the company outfits more than 2 million workers each business day. For more information, contact UniFirst at 888.879.2169 or visit UniFirst.com.
Contact:
Adam Soreff
Director of Marketing and Communications
UniFirst Corporation
68 Jonspin Rd.
Wilmington, MA 01887
978.527.4349
ASoreff@UniFirst.com
