The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association announced today the recipients of the organization’s 2015 Scholarship Awards at the 69th Annual NIADA Convention and Expo at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The NIADA Foundation, each year, sponsors a student in each of the association’s four regions with a $3,500 scholarship to the college or university of his or her choice. The foundation and Cox Automotive also award one $10,000 national scholarship once a year for an exceptional student to help them attend or continue his or her education at Northwood University in Midland, Mich. in an automotive-related field.

Here are this year’s 5 scholarship winners:

• NIADA/Cox Automotive National Scholarship: Alesandra D’Agostino, who just completed her first year at Northwood University.
• Region I: Emma Hammer of Indianapolis.
• Region II: Philip Hetzler of Matthews, N.C.
• Region III: Cash Forster of Washington, Okla.
• Region IV: Maxence Weyrich of Boonville, Calif.

All of the students’ entries were judged by Northwood University.

In related news, ADESA, AFC and IAA helped raised $27,500 for the NIADA Foundation on Wednesday. Andy Gabler, of Lakeside Auto Sales in Erie, Pa., won a bidding war for a Mercedes C250W during the NIADA Convention. The three auction companies donated the vehicle where all proceeds of its sale will be used to help the NIADA Foundation.

Over the past three years, ADESA/AFC/IAA-sponsored auctions at the NIADA Convention have raised a total of $69,700 for the NIADA Foundation.

For more on this year’s NIADA Convention, click here.