The time is now to apply for the 2025 Mary Johnston Scholarship
Applicants for the OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship are encouraged to submit their information early for this year’s awards.
The application and cover letter to be submitted are available for download on the OOIDA website. Those materials must be postmarked no later than Feb. 1, 2025. The Scholarship Advisory Committee will select the winners through a blind evaluation.
Over $400,000 has been awarded to the children, grandchildren and legal dependents of OOIDA members in their efforts to gain a higher education since the Mary Johnston Scholarship Fund was established in 1998.
OOIDA members, Land Line Magazine, Owner-Operator Services Inc., corporate sponsors and more are among the generous contributors to this program.
To join the growing list of sponsors, use the donation form at OOIDA.com/Scholarship-Program or mail a donation to:
OOIDA Foundation Inc.
1 NW OOIDA Drive
Grain Valley, MO 64029
The OOIDA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt education and safety foundation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. All contributions are tax deductible and help fund important programs that benefit small-business truckers. In addition to the scholarship program, the OOIDA Foundation’s offerings include research on working conditions, training videos on safety-related issues and more.
In 2024, Mason Houghton, grandson of life member Ronnie Martin of Tarkio, Mo., received a $2,000 scholarship to attend Central Community College in Hastings, Neb., and major in on-highway truck diesel.
“We have gone on countless trips in the truck,” Mason said. “I love hearing his stories and talking with him about trucking whenever we get the chance to do so.”
Earning $1,000 Mary Johnston Scholarship awards last year were:
- Camden Dickman – grandson of Richard Woehrle of Lexington, Neb., an OOIDA life member
- Briley Douglas – daughter of senior member Billy Douglas II of Andalusia, Ala.
- Jalynn Brown – daughter of senior member Brad Brown of Ainsworth, Iowa
- MiliJo Hooyman – daughter of life member Jeff Hooyman of Kaukauna, Wis.
Mary Johnston Scholarship awards are transferred directly to the student’s selected institution and can be renewed for a total of four years. Those funds can be used for tuition or any legitimate school-related expenses.
For more information on the scholarship program, email Andrew_King@OOIDA.com or write to:
Andrew King
OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship Program
PO Box 1000
1 NW OOIDA Dr.
Grain Valley, MO 64029 LL