Home Builders Foundation Selects 2012 ACE Mentoring Scholarship Winner

Senior, Kiara Drake at Benson Polytechnic High School awarded $4,000

Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, awarded $4,000 to Kiara Drake a senior at Benson Polytechnic High School. The selection concludes the HBF’s annual Gary E. Milgard High School Scholarship Competition. This year the HBF worked in partnership with the ACE Mentoring Program to target students planning a career in architecture, construction or engineering. Applicants were asked to complete the ACE Mentoring Scholarship application in addition to a 250 word essay specific to the home building industry. The scholarship award can be used towards tuition at a four year university or two year college. The scholarship will be an incremental award of $1,000 per year provided that the course studies align with the ACE mission.

Kiara’s application was selected from a total of eight applications. She was selected for her obvious passion for design, drawing and architecture and was recognized in her letters of recommendation “as a rare high school student who is mature, organized and results-oriented. She has already earned seven college-level credits through the program at Benson, due to her eagerness to learn and to pursue a career in architecture.”  We congratulate her on this accomplishment and wish Kiara the best in her education and future employment goals. 

The Gary E. Milgard High School Scholarship Competition is one of four scholarship programs administered by the HBF. The other three include the Jim Irvine Statewide Scholarship Fund, the NE Oregon Scholarship Fund and the Building Industry Scholarship Program. To date, this brings the HBF’s total level of giving toward educational scholarships to more than $144,000.

For more information on the program or to become involved in helping students succeed in the home building industry, please email scholarships@hbapdx.org.

About the Home Builders Foundation
The Home Builders Foundation, established in 1997, is the charitable arm of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland and is dedicated to establishing a strong future for the home building industry in Oregon. Our mission is to build transitional shelter for families in need and provide educational opportunities for students seeking a career in the building industry.