Scholarships created in honor Battery Council International’s 100th anniversary support next generation of industry leaders
Battery Council International (BCI) and the BCI Foundation are proud to announce the first class of BCI Scholars, a group of three students that were each selected for up to $5,000 in financial aid to support studies in the 2025-2026 academic year.
The BCI Foundation was formed in recognition of Battery Council International’s 100th anniversary on March 21, 2024, to support the next generation of leaders in STEM and the energy storage industry.
“BCI’s members have a long history of charitable support in communities across the U.S., and our Board of Directors wanted to build on that legacy through these scholarships and ensure the industry’s next 100 years is even more successful,” said BCI President and Executive Director Roger Miksad. “We congratulate these three students on the hard work they put in to earn these scholarships, and we thank everyone who donated so generously to the BCI Foundation to make this first-ever class of BCI Scholars possible.”
Scholarships provided by the BCI Foundation fall into two categories:
First, the BCI Battery Chemistry and STEM Scholarship supports individuals studying electrochemistry, science, technology, engineering, mathematics or a related technical discipline that will support energy storage applications. In partnership with Women in the Global Battery Industry (WGBI), BCI will ensure at least one woman recipient as part of BCI’s efforts to foster diversity in the industry. This year’s BCI Battery Chemistry and STEM Scholarship recipients are Sophia Anderson of Schwenksville, Pa., and Leaf Evergreen of Hillsboro, Ore.
Separately, The BCI Community Scholarship supports individuals who are an employee or direct family member of an employee currently working in a BCI-member company. Summer Sapp of Russell Springs, Ky., was the 2025 recipient of the BCI Community Scholarship.
The BCI Foundation, a stand-alone 501(c)(3) charitable entity, was initially funded in part by a $10,000 “challenge grant” from battery separator specialist ENTEK. Battery separator supplier Daramic also generously helped fund the BCI foundation with a separate $5,000 award.
Additional contributions to the BCI Foundation come from the Centennial Sponsors of BCI’s 100th anniversary celebration that took place as part of its annual conference in April. These Centennial Sponsors include Banner, C&D Trojan, Clarios, Crown Battery, Duncan, East Penn, EnerSys, GS Yuasa, Leoch Battery, Moura, Rolls Battery Engineering, Stryten Energy, Superior Battery, and U.S. Battery Manufacturing Company.
The BCI Foundation scholarships are administered by the University of the Aftermarket Foundation, a group dedicated to providing funding for aftermarket education programs and research.
