Keiser University Women in Automotive Scholarship

Automotive dealerships face a specific level of challenges in the business world, and one university is offering a scholarship.

When women want to build a career in the automotive world, they enter an inherently male-dominated industry, but that fact has been changing for many years. Over the past few decades, a shift in purchase decisions has moved from mostly the men in a home to women. This fact shows that women are making serious strides in many businesses, including the automotive world.

Women Continue to Break New Ground

The days of women staying home to raise kids and put dinner on the table while their husbands go off to work are gone. Most households now require both adults to work to bring in enough income for the house to operate. This isn’t the only reason more women have entered the workforce and left the house to become a two-person process. Many women find fulfillment in their careers and enjoy sharing duties at home with their partners. Of course, this assumes there’s another adult at home to handle some of these challenges. Some women face the challenge of doing everything for the household independently.

It’s a Gender-Blind Society

As gender lines in business become blurred, as they should be, more women are bucking tradition and moving into desired roles in industries that were often thought of as only meant for men. This includes women moving toward the automotive world to be part of this industry. The latest recipient of the Keiser University Women in Automotive Scholarship is a young lady who grew up in the industry. Lena Wallace understands more about the needs of a dealership than most young men who have never been part of the market.

A Little About Lena Wallace

Lena grew up in a dealership owned by her family in Fort Meyers, Florida. She remembers being at the dealership when she was old enough to walk. The dealership was founded by her grandfather in 1972 and continues to be a family-run company. This is where Lena learned the challenges facing a car dealership while watching older generations of her family successfully expand the business and where she gained her enthusiasm for selling cars. Lena watched other women in her family enter this business and become successful.

Major Decision-Makers, Underrepresented

Why would a university have a scholarship specifically for women in a particular industry? In this case, the research shows that women influence the purchase decision of vehicles much more than men, but men occupy most positions in all areas of this industry. This shows a severe challenge that faces the sector and schools that offer degrees specifically geared toward the automotive world. The degree at Keiser University is Bachelor of Business Administration in Automotive Dealership Management, and Lena Wallace is the first recipient of this award, making her a fitting choice.

What is the Award at this School?

This new financial award at Keiser University is worth $20,000 to promote the empowerment of women who show a desire to enter the automotive industry. Because women drive the purchase decisions in most two-adult homes, they need to be better represented in the industry to allow women customers to see other women described as part of the sales teams and managers at the dealerships they trust. This award goes a long way to encouraging young women like Lena Wallace to enter the industry and continue to build upon the education they received while growing up at an automotive dealership.

How was this Scholarship Founded?

In a partnership with JKR Advertising in Orlando, Florida, six female industry leaders brought this scholarship to the programs at Keiser University. The goal is to receive and develop more females to become leaders and employees at dealerships around the country. This group of women understands the benefits of female leadership in the automotive industry and wants to bring this leadership to the market at dealerships. This award helps offset the cost of school and encourages women to enter a world dominated by men, although women are now the decision-makers when it comes to buying cars.

This new scholarship award is presented incrementally to a student over four years.