SITE Advancement Foundation awards $5K scholarship to Freeburg High grad Luke Merz

Luke Merz of Smithton, a graduate of Freeburg Community High School planning to major in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mississippi, has received a $5,000 scholarship from the SITE Advancement Foundation to help further his education in the Fall 2023 semester.

The scholarship is based on his academic achievements, involvement in the community and financial need.

Merz has been a part of his high school cross country team and has served as a counselor at cross country and track summer camps. He noted that his favorite classes have been mathematics and science. Merz was one of six high school graduates, college, and trade school students with a parent employed by one of the 230 SITE Improvement Association member companies who are eligible for these scholarships. He was sponsored by Central Stone Company.

The scholarships are made possible through voluntary contributions from SITE Improvement Association member companies and from the SITE Advancement Foundation Scholarship Fund, which has awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships over the past 23 years.

“Over the past several years, we have increased the individual scholarship awards from $1,500 to $5,000 in response to the cost associated with attending today’s colleges and technical schools,” said Jeremy Bennett, executive director of the SITE Improvement Association. “The number of students applying for this year’s scholarships significantly increased thanks to the higher award amounts made available by the Foundation. I want to congratulate Luke for his accomplishments to date and thank our Foundation, Scholarship Committee, and members of SITE for their generosity in responding to the needs of our scholarship recipients.”

“While recipients may pursue careers outside of construction, they all appreciate the opportunity for this financial relief provided by the construction community,” Bennett added. “Past recipients have found ways of giving back to the industry, especially as they grow into various leadership roles, and those efforts compounded over 23 years are priceless.”

About the SITE Improvement Association

The SITE Improvement Association advances the construction industry in eastern Missouri through public policy advocacy, labor relations support, safety and leadership training and professional networking. Established in 1966 as an independent trade organization, SITE represents more than 230 contractors and suppliers in the Concrete, Asphalt Paving, Sewer/Utility, Highway/Bridge, Earthmoving, Landscaping and Specialty construction sectors. For more information, visit www.sitestl.org.