Leslie Johnson Awarded The J.M. Smucker Co. Annual Scholarship

2014 Apr 28

Leslie Johnson, an Ashland University senior finance major with minors in accounting and mathematics, was named the J.M. Smucker Co. scholarship award winner for the academic year 2013-14 at AU's Student Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) meeting last month.

The scholarship was presented to Johnson by Nick Workinger, manager of finance and accounting, U.S. Retail Coffee of The J.M. Smucker Co. Johnson, a 2011 graduate of Hilliard Bradley High School, is the daughter of Jay Johnson of Thornville, Ohio.

Johnson, who will be interning this summer at The J.M. Smucker Co., said, "It is an honor to be the recipient of the J.M. Smucker Co. Scholarship. This scholarship will help contribute to receiving my education at Ashland University, which will lead to my ability to reach my goals, both academically and personally. The scholarship is coming from a company that is genuinely supportive to the success of students and I am extremely appreciative for the opportunity that it has given me."

Workinger said the Smucker Co. is looking forward to having Johnson join its team as an intern this summer.

"We have a strong relationship with Ashland University that has resulted in many successful internships. We believe Leslie's strengths, including her work ethic and depth of experiences from her extensive campus involvement, will be of great value to our team," Workinger said. "Leslie possesses many of the qualities that we hope to see in all intern candidates and her positive attitude and personality will be a great fit at Smucker. This will be a wonderful opportunity for Leslie and we are excited to continue our partnership with Ashland University."

The criteria for the annual Ashland University Smucker scholarship, which was established in 2008, include a grade point average of at least 3.0, junior or senior status, industry internship experience and a career interest in the consumer packaged goods industry.

Ashland University, which has been ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.