The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation announced the five student recipients of The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Scholarship, a program for students interested in potentially pursuing a career in the equipment finance industry. Each student will receive a scholarship of $5,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Scholarship is part of the foundation’s Academic Outreach Program.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Kyle Bansa, a senior at Towson University studying financial economics and business analytics. Set to graduate later this year, he is currently a summer intern at Bank of America Merrill Lynch as part of its Wealth Management Summer Analyst program.
• Lily Chen, a junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology majoring in finance. She intends to pursue a career in equipment finance with a focus on innovation around blockchain and artificial intelligence.
• Quincy Ewudzi-Acquah, a senior at Clark Atlanta University studying business administration and finance. Currently a summer intern at Adient, he also serves as a member of the HBCU Ambassador Leadership Program and as a Morehouse Business Associate.
• Susan Kalinay, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, is set to graduate in 2024. She is also equipment finance operations coordinator at 1st Equipment Finance (FNCB Bank), working in operations and sales support.
• Connor Schwob, a senior at St. John’s University in Minnesota, is studying global business leadership and data analytics. He is currently a product development intern at Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group.

“I’m delighted to congratulate this year’s foundation scholarship recipients and pleased to encourage their academic pursuits,” Donna Yanuzzi, foundation trustee, academic outreach committee chair and director of equipment finance at 1^st Equipment Finance (FNCB Bank), said. “The foundation is committed to developing future talent in equipment finance, and the scholarship program is a great way to encourage new participants to join our rewarding, innovative and supportive industry.”