The 2023 NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship – the highest honor the NRF Foundation awards to undergraduate students – was presented by SAS at the NRF Foundation Honors on January 15 in New York City.
Richard Widdowson, vice president of global retail and consumer goods solutions at SAS and member of the NRF Foundation Board of Directors, honored the undergraduates who made it to the final round for the scholarship.
“These young people are driven, determined and dedicated. Months of competition and hard work have led them to this moment,” Widdowson says. “We are committed to education, life-long learning and the advancement of the industries we serve, That's why all of us at SAS are excited to once again present the highest honor the NRF Foundation awards to undergraduate students - the NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship.”
See the moment the top recipient was unveiled in the video below:
“There will never be enough words to say how much this means to me,” says Megan Marr, the senior from Columbia College who received $25,000 as the 2023 NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholar. “Thank you to the NRF Foundation. You make me the student I am today. You changed my life.”
The other four finalists each received $10,000. The competition included a case study with Nordstrom, interviews with retail leaders and evaluation by the NRF Foundation Board of Directors.
The NRF Foundation Honors – presented by American Express and PwC – is the NRF Foundation’s biggest stage for telling the story of how retail builds extraordinary careers and largest fundraiser. The event – co-hosted by Bloomingdale's Chairman and CEO Tony Spring and Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner – drew more than 700 attendees and raised $3 million for the NRF Foundation.
Undergraduates can submit applications now for the 2024 NRF Foundation Next Generation Scholarship or create a team for the 2024 NRF Foundation Student Challenge. And you can learn more about programs and resources from the NRF Foundation – including its industry-recognized RISE Up training and credentials – that help people of all backgrounds build life-changing careers here.