Sonic Announces Winter 2025 Impact Scholarship Recipients
Sonic has officially announced its winter 2025 Impact Scholarship Program recipients, awarding five students with a collection of hand tools specifically for their disciplines.
This is the second round of the 2025 scholarship season, which highlights students with outstanding performance in programs like:
- Aviation
- Automotive
- Manufacturing technology
Sonic offers products like tool solutions and equipment for professional applications, and the organization chooses scholarship recipients based on which applicants showcase its PACE principles:
- Passion
- Accountability
- Collaboration
- Experience
Students in aviation maintenance programs will be given Sonic’s 263-piece Intermediate Aviation Toolset with the S9 Toolbox
One recipient in the Automotive industry will receive Sonic’s 255-piece Basic Automotive Toolset and S12 XD Toolbox.
These tool collections aim to support the students through their training years and prepare them for professional careers as technicians.
The winter 2025 Scholarship recipients are:
- Trystan Daughtry – Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, OK, from Tulsa, OK.
- Michael Debenedetto – Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Irving, TX, from Hewitt, NJ.
- Trevor Hill – Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, from Walkertown, NC.
- Maria Hoff – Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, from Maple Grove, MN.
- Willburn Smith – University of Fairbanks in Fairbanks, AK, from Fairbanks, AK.
Hoff, Daughtry, Hill and Smith are all enrolled in aviation maintenance programs, while Debenedetto is enrolled in an automotive program.
"This group of five talented students exemplifies the next generation of skilled trade professionals. Every recipient has shown outstanding academic performance alongside a dedication to the PACE principles that define excellence in the automotive and aviation fields," said Colby McConnell, CEO of Sonic USA.
McConnell added, "By equipping them with professional-grade tools, we're enabling them to concentrate on mastering their craft without the financial stress of purchasing the required hand tools."
The next iteration of Sonic’s Impact Scholarship Program will take place in January 2026, with the next five scholarship recipients being announced in June 2026. Applications for the Spring cycle will close in May 2026.
To apply for the Sonic’s scholarship, students must provide:
- Proof of enrollment
- Recommendation letter from an instructor
- 500-word essay explaining how they embody the PACE values and make meaningful impact
- Short video outlining how Sonic Tools will support their career path
Sonic’s scholarship initiative addresses the ongoing technician shortage impacting the workforces in aviation, automotive and manufacturing sectors.
According to TechForce’s 2024 Supply & Demand Report, the automotive industry needs nearly one million new-entry technicians to eliminate the gap.