The Valley Automobile Dealers Association (VADA) and its board members are pleased to announce a record year rewarding $51,000 total in scholarships to 29 recipients of the VADA Scholarship Fund for the 2022-2023 academic year. The recipients were recognized on July 19 at the VADA Annual Luncheon held at the Embassy Suites at the McAllen Convention Center, following a business meeting with keynote speaker Dr. Ricardo Solis, President of South
Texas College. The students received a scholarship ranging from $1,000-$3,000. Since the VADA Scholarship Fund was established in 2017, VADA has rewarded $187,500 in scholarships, all due to the support from the annual VADA Sporting Clay Shoot and the Jon Buquet Memorial Golf Tournament. The dealers and all VADA’s Associate Members remain dedicated to continued education for students in the Rio Grande Valley.

“The local auto industry continues to be a driving force in the Rio Grande Valley economy, and that is due to the hardworking employees we all have,” said David Amaya, General Manager of Gillman Chevrolet and President of VADA. “We are proud to join together to support all employees and their families.”

The car business has drastically changed since the pandemic with never-before-seen challenges, including protecting the safety of employees and customers as well as having sufficient inventory to provide for a community reliant on transportation.

“Families continue to be affected by the pandemic, which became evident in the responses on the scholarship applications,” says VADA Executive Director Lexi Buquet. “We hope these scholarships can at least relieve some of the financial burdens on the students so they can focus more on their education.”

Updates about the VADA Scholarship Program and upcoming events can be found at www.facebook.com/valleyautodealers.