August 26, 2024 – Kaukauna, WI: The Women in Forest Products Scholarship Fund awarded a $1,000 scholarship to its first high school recipient at an award ceremony at Ahlstrom’s Central Office in Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
The Women in Forest Products Scholarship Fund provides financial support to female graduating seniors in Wisconsin who are pursuing a career in the forest products industry or a related field, as well as develops women currently in the forest products field as future leaders.
The recipient, Carissa Ashman, will attend the University of Green Bay and pursue a major in environmental engineering. Carissa wrote in her scholarship application that her grandparents’ careers at Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA) exposed her to the forest products industry. “While it may not have been my own job, I look up to them greatly, from their stories of work with the forest products that are produced right here in my hometown, where we have many paper mills along the Fox River. These paper mills have also been a staple in my life.”
Carissa was also recognized with a Certificate of Achievement from the Office of Governor Tony Evers for being the first recipient of this scholarship award. The forest products industry is a key economic driver of Wisconsin and the industry employs over 57,000 people in the state. Michele Carter, Administrator of the Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Employment and Training, presented the certificate at the event.
The Wisconsin Paper Council (WPC) founded the scholarship in coordination with Ahlstrom, a fiber-based specialty materials company with mills in Wisconsin. Ahlstrom provided $20,000 seed money to the fund.
“Ahlstrom recognizes the need to have more women in the paper industry and this scholarship is designed to encourage women to enter fields in the paper and forest products industries, and to encourage women already in the field to grow their leadership skills through education,” said Don Guay, Head of Technology, Engineering and Reliability for Ahlstrom, and Chairman of the WPC Board of Directors. “The forest products industry is an innovative and strong industry, and we need to empower our diverse voices and encourage unique talent to join us.”
“The Wisconsin Paper Council has been advocating for Wisconsin’s paper, pulp, and forestry industries for more than 50 years,” commented Mykaela Chaffin, WPC Communications & Development Analyst.
“This scholarship program will help contribute to the sustainability of our industry and will benefit current and future women innovators and papermakers.”
The scholarship fund plans to award deserving applicants annually and continue to encourage women of all ages and backgrounds to join this key industry in Wisconsin.
“Empowering women in the forest products industry is not just about equality; it’s about harnessing diverse perspectives to nurture innovation and sustainability,” said Dustin Delsman, Business Representative for Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 400 and Chairman of the WPC Workforce Relations Committee. “This scholarship is a testament to the strength and vision that women bring to the field, paving the way for a more resilient and inclusive future.”
“I hope that I will be able to show younger girls that women can go into any field of work they want, no matter what others say,” said Carissa. “This scholarship money will help me to be able to show other females the obstacles I have and will continue to overcome as a woman in STEM, more specifically in a male-dominated field of work.”
The scholarship fund is housed with the Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region, Inc. which continues to be a valued partner to ensure the success of this first-of-its-kind scholarship collaboration.
For More Information Contact:
WPC Contact: Mykaela Chaffin | chaffin@wipaper.org | 608.733.0188
Ahlstrom Contact: Tricia Schwartz | tricia.schwartz@ahlstrom.com | 920.634.6089
About The Wisconsin Paper Council
The Wisconsin Paper Council (WPC) is the premier trade association which advocates for Wisconsin’s paper, pulp and forestry industries before state and federal elected officials and regulators. The WPC also works to educate the general public and the media about the importance of paper, pulp and forestry production in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. Learn more at www.wipaper.org.
About Ahlstrom
Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. Our vision is to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. We serve five growing and distinctive end markets, which form the basis for our five divisions: Filtration, Food & Consumer Packaging, Healthcare, Building Materials, and Technical Materials. Our net sales in 2022 for continuing operations amounted to EUR 3.3 billion and we employ some 7,000 people. Read more at www.ahlstrom.com.
About The Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region, Inc.
The Women’s Fund directs its resources and leadership on creating, strengthening, and accelerating economic opportunities that enable women and girls to achieve their full potential. Knowing that education is a pathway to economic security and financial stability, the Women’s Fund supports programs and initiatives to empower women to pursue and achieve their post-secondary educational goals.
