For Immediate Release

Kathy Grannis (855) NRF-PRESS

press@nrf.com
Learn more about the 2014 Ray Greenly Scholarship recipients.
NRF Foundation Names 25 Semi-Finalists for Ray Greenly
Scholarship
Scholarship Created to Identify, Cultivate and Grow Digital Retail Talent
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2014 Twenty-five undergraduate and graduate students from across
the country studying everything from marketing and economics to politics have been selected by
the NRF Foundation as semi-finalists for its Ray Greenly Scholarship. Each student will receive
a trip to Shop.orgs Annual Summit and Student Program in September where they will be
treated to exclusive networking opportunities with retail CEOs and senior executives, and are
now in the running to be named a top-five finalist and potential recipient of either a $10,000 or
$25,000 educational scholarship.
The Ray Greenly Scholarship provides financial support to students pursuing a degree in fields
most relevant to the rapidly-growing careers in digital retail such as engineering, computer
science, marketing, business, e-commerce and economics.
From digital marketing and e-commerce managers, to user-experience designers, social media
analysts, and engineers, retail offers incredible digital careers to students, said NRF
Foundation Executive Director and NRF Senior Vice President Ellen Davis. The Ray Greenly
Scholarship is one way we are finding and fostering young digital retail talent, which will be
hugely important for the future of our industry.

We are extremely thrilled to recognize the top 25 and look forward to seeing them thrive in their
retail careers for years to come.

As part of the application process, each recipient was required to submit a case study project in
addition to two essays on their career aspirations and retail innovations. This allowed the
students to demonstrate new ways to connect customers to brands and products.
In July, more than a dozen digital retail executives and industry insiders will select five finalists
from the list of 25 students based on the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated in
their submitted applications.
A panel of retail and executive judges will interview the five finalists on September 28 at the
Shop.org Summit in Seattle, selecting four $10,000 recipients and a top recipient of the $25,000
scholarship.
The students below have been named semi-finalists for the 2014 Ray Greenly Scholarship. To
learn more about these students, visit https://nrf.com/career-center/scholarships/ray-greenly-
scholarship/class-of-2014.
.
Name Hometown School Degree
Olufisayo Akanni Naperville, IL Kent State University B.S. Fashion
Merchandising
Anjali Bhatia Kinnelon, NJ University of Pennsylvania M.B.A.
Sarah Bitticks Pasadena, CA FIDM/ Fashion Institute of
Design and Merchandising
B.S. in Business
Management
Bailey Blakkolb Redlands, CA FIDM/ Fashion Institute of
Design and Merchandising
A.A. Merchandise
Marketing
Evan Chisholm New York, NY Fashion Institute of Technology A.A.S/B.S. Fashion
Merchandising
Management
Christian Cortes Pinecrest, FL University of Pennsylvania B.S. Economics
Andrew Crewson Evanston, IL Northwestern University M.B.A.
Elizabeth Engele Nashville, IL University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
B.S.B.A. Supply Chain
Management and
Marketing
Emily Gao Bedford, MA University of Pennsylvania B.A. Communication and
Commerce
Grace Jun Great Neck, NY Parsons The New York School M.F.A.
Sarah Kendzior Mukwonago, WI University of Minnesota: Twin
Cities
B.S. Retail
Merchandising
Christina Lau East Brunswick, NJ Fashion Institute of Technology A.A.S/B.S. Fashion
Merchandising
Management
Sophia Maltesen Stanford, CA Stanford University B.S. Science,
Technology and Society
Alexandre Marr Poland, OH Kent State University M. Fashion
Erika Mayiras Kent, OH Kent State University B.A. Technical Fashion
Design
Nelly Mensah Cambridge, MA MIT M.B.A.
Khuyen Nguyen Denton, TX University of North Texas B.S. Merchandising and
Digital Retailing
Ana Prodanovic Naples, FL Drexel University B.S. Design and
Merchandising
Brittany Randolph Hamburg, NY Kent State University B.S. Fashion
Merchandising
Erika Renstrom Sleepy Hollow, NY Fashion Institute of Technology A.A.S/B.S. Fashion
Merchandising
Management
Carlin Rhea Coppell, TX Texas A&M University B.B.A. in Marketing
Adriana Solis Sachse, TX University of North Texas B.S. Merchandising and
Digital Retailing
Natalie Swart Southlake, TX Texas A&M University B.B.A. in Marketing
Edward Wu Arcadia, CA University of Pennsylvania M. Integrated Product
Design
Emilie Wurmser Key Biscayne, FL Georgia Institute of Technology B.S. Industrial and
Systems Engineering
The Ray Greenly Scholarship was established to honor the memory of a former Shop.org vice
president who lost his battle with cancer in the fall of 2005. His generous and kind spirit inspired
NRF to establish a scholarship that provides financial support to students pursuing a degree in
fields most relevant to digital retail such as engineering, computer science, marketing, business,
e-commerce and economics.
The NRF Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the National Retail Federation, shaping
retails future by building awareness of the industry through statistics and stories; developing
talent through education, experiences and scholarships; and fostering career growth among
people who work in retail. https://nrf.com/who-we-are/nrf-foundation
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