Four high achievers share $20,000 toward tuition
By Andy Kriege, YSN
A high point of today’s 2023 Summit proceedings was the announcement of this year’s AVB BrandSource scholarship award winners.
As part of a longstanding effort to support higher education, the group bestows $20,000 in academic achievement awards annually. The goal of these scholarships is to provide financial assistance to the children of BrandSource members and their staff to help offset higher education expenses.
Four winners were chosen from dozens of submissions, with each receiving $5,000 toward enrollment this fall. This was the third year in which eligibility was extended beyond those attending four-year colleges to include students enrolled in tech and trade school programs.
The candidates were judged on their academic merit (including their GPAs and extracurricular activities), their community involvement, a written essay and such additional criteria as their responses to follow-up questions and the overall presentation of their submission.
The Scholarship Awards are an AVB tradition that has cumulatively provided tens of thousands of dollars over the years to help our group’s students achieve their academic goals and career dreams.
This year’s four scholarship recipients are:
Jonathan Wesco II

Jonathan Daniel Wesco II is the son of ProSource members Jonathan and Bethany Wesco of ALLEGRO Home Entertainment in Granger, Ind. Jonathan is a homeschooled high school senior and upon graduation plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in aviation science from Texas A&M University.
Jillian Abarca

Jillian Abarca is currently a senior at Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla. She is the daughter of Paul Abarca, who is the senior appliance buyer for Famous Tate Appliance & Bedding Centers in the greater Tampa area. Jillian will be heading off to Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga., in the fall to pursue her passion for music therapy.
Riley Richardson

Riley Richardson is the daughter of John and Amy Richardson, owners of Richardson Appliance Sales & Service in Harrison, Ark. Riley is a freshman at the University of Central Arkansas, where she is majoring in interior design. She plans to turn her passion for design into a career breathing fresh life into interior spaces.
Lyndee Johnson

Lyndee Johnson is a freshman at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, where she is studying graphic design and visual communications, and works for Western Living Furnishings in Vernal, Utah as a social media coordinator. She plans to parlay her love for art and design into a career that will allow her to express her creativity for the world to see via multiple media platforms.
Based on this year’s winners and a review of all the applicants, BrandSource can take great pride in its members’ next generation. Congratulations to each of the 2023 scholarship winners.
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.