Newsroom

rss

ICC Newsroom

Subscribe to receive news from ICC!

ICC's Dayton Hipps recipient of Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association scholarship

Itawamba Community College industrial maintenance major Dayton Hipps of Smithville is one of 14 recipients of the Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association scholarship for 2024-25.

            According to the announcement, MAMA awarded the scholarships to community college and university students interested in pursuing a career in the automotive manufacturing industry. “MAMA has supported the growth of a strong workforce essential to the health of all industries in the state since its inception in 2006. This year’s scholarships were awarded to technical and engineering-related majors as well as nontraditional majors that can be applied within the automotive industry.”

            “After speaking with a life coach right after my first year at Itawamba Community College, I finally realized what I enjoy doing and want to do for the rest of my life,” Hipps said. “After starting the Industrial Maintenance program at ICC, I quickly started to fall in love with it…Hearing about these different types of industries has really made me want to become a maintenance technician at an automotive plant because of my love for vehicles.” His experience includes an internship/co-op at Tronox in Hamilton, supply chain associate at Fastenal and a lawn technician at Scott’s Lawn Care. He said that he plans to continue to work for Tronox as an industrial maintenance technician after graduation from ICC. Hipps’ honors at Smithville High School include academic leadership award, honor graduate, member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club and recognition in football as both first team all-state and all-division. He is the son of Leslie and Chad Hipps.

            MAMA serves its members by promoting growth, development and improvement in the automotive industry in Mississippi as well as serving as a forum for interaction among automotive manufacturing companies in the state. “Mississippi has an environment conducive to advanced manufacturing,” said Skip Scaggs, MAMA’s President. “We are proud that Mississippi’s higher education system has invested heavily in educational opportunities and facilities which ensure the state will be able to produce the talented workforce necessary to keep the automotive industry strong. MAMA is committed to doing our part to recognize that workforce. I congratulate each of these students and wish them success in completing their degree, followed by a successful start in our industry!”

            Safety and environmental issues, along with the potential to make cars safer and more accessible for everyone, particularly individuals with disabilities, were recurring interests expressed in essays submitted by this year’s recipients. The students discussed the possibilities of integrating innovative technologies into vehicle production to create a world where each driver and passenger could embark on safe and enjoyable journeys. They expressed excitement about the opportunity to be part of this transformative process and to witness the continuous advancements in automotive technology.

            With the announcement of this year’s recipients, MAMA’s scholarship fund has supported 243 students enrolled in Mississippi community colleges and universities with a total of $437,500 awarded since 2006.



Comments are closed.