Investing in Mississippi’s Future Workforce: MAMA Surpasses $470,000 in Scholarships Awarded to Students Across the State

With the announcement of its 2025–2026 scholarship recipients, the Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association (MAMA) has reached a significant milestone—awarding a total of $471,000 in scholarships to 249 students across Mississippi community colleges and universities since 2006.

For the upcoming academic year, MAMA has awarded 15 scholarships to outstanding students pursuing careers in the automotive manufacturing industry. The recipients represent a broad range of majors, from technical and engineering fields to non-traditional disciplines with applications in the evolving automotive sector.

“MAMA is proud to play a role in strengthening Mississippi’s workforce by supporting students who are passionate about innovation and excellence in our industry,” said Skip Scaggs, President of MAMA. “Mississippi offers a strong foundation for advanced manufacturing, and our state’s higher education institutions have made strategic investments to ensure the continued development of a highly skilled talent pool.” MAMA Scholarship Chairwoman Judy Johnson added, “We congratulate this year’s recipients and look forward to seeing the impact they’ll make in the years to come.”

This year’s applicants demonstrated a deep awareness of the automotive industry’s future, highlighting themes such as vehicle safety, environmental sustainability, and the integration of inclusive technologies for drivers and passengers with disabilities. Their essays reflected a shared enthusiasm for advancing technologies that can lead to safer, more accessible, and more efficient vehicles.

Since its founding in 2006, MAMA has been dedicated to the promotion, development, and advancement of the automotive industry in Mississippi. The organization also serves as a key forum for collaboration among automotive manufacturers across the state.

By continuing to invest in the next generation of industry leaders, MAMA reaffirms its commitment to building a resilient and innovative workforce that supports the long-term success of Mississippi’s automotive sector.

Among the successful 2025-2026 MAMA Scholarship candidates are:

I’Jerius Brown, a senior at Mississippi State University, has been designated a 2025-2026 Toyota Scholar.  I’Jerius is majoring in electrical engineering with a minor in industrial engineering. Several of Brown’s university mentors/professors touted how well-rounded he is from the classroom to leadership roles, to participation in campus and community activities. A President’s List Scholar, he has worked on projects including team lead of his capstone design group which prototyped a manual wheelchair conversion kit enabling electric motorization, a Camera Calibration project using OpenCV, a YOLO Object Detection project in autonomous vehicle scenarios, and a LiDAR Sensor Analysis using sensors in detecting small objects. He has completed co-ops at Packaging Corporation of America and Toyota MS. His manager at Toyota MS said of I’Jerious, “IJ is a very intelligent student with an electric personality; he showed strong commitment to his professional development by completing all assigned tasks and his people skills allowed him to interact and collaborate with other shops and engineers to build a diverse network of peers.”

Joshua Jones is a senior at Mississippi State University majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in mathematics. He has been a part of the MSU EcoCar Team as a systems design integration sub team member and on the MSU Formula SAE Team as a powertrain sub team member. Joshua recently completed an engineering internship with the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension(CAVSE). During his internship he offered support for a variety of Mississippi manufacturers and worked on projects for Viking Refrigeration, Continental Tire, ND Defense and Siemens Energy, while also visiting companies such as Nissan, Syntron, ITW Paslode, Fairbanks Scales, Zavation, and White Rhino Fabrication. All of this was accomplished while he worked at Advance Auto Parts. One of his mentors during the internship said of Jones, “He consistently demonstrated a high level of professionalism, technical skill, and a genuine passion for engineering and manufacturing. Joshua is a thoughtful, capable, and motivated individual who is well-prepared to contribute meaningfully to Mississippi’s automotive and manufacturing sectors.”

Vanessa Morales, a senior at Mississippi State University, is majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering. Her past experiences include Green Energy and RYD Industrial and a quality engineer coo-op at Solero Technologies. Morales has worked at the MSU IDEE Lab/PACCAR Lab and her instructor shared, “As both Vanessa’s instructor and her direct supervisor in the IDEELab, I have had the privilege of working closely with Vanessa and witnessing her exceptional dedication to technical excellence and professional growth. Vanessa plays a vital role at the lab as the only undergraduate industrial engineer. Even as a senior in Industrial Engineering, she has consistently sought opportunities to gain deeper expertise in mechanical and manufacturing technologies. … Her interdisciplinary mindset and drive to bridge the gap between design, production, and systems engineering are precisely what the future of the automotive industry demands.” Morales in active in the Manufacturing Club, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

Rahul Sah, a senior at Mississippi State University majoring in industrial engineering with minors in data science, mathematics, and global engineering leadership, has participated in MSU’s EcoCAR EV Challenge, a student research intern at the RASPET Flight Research Laboratory, both supplier quality engineering intern and global quality engineering co-op at Cummins Inc., and a strategy product planning intern with Volvo Group. Sah is involved on campus as an industrial and systems engineering representative in the Business College of Engineering, a member of the Manufacturing Club, a director of programming with the International Students Advisory Board, and vice-president of the Nepalese Student Association. Rahul stated, “Looking ahead, I envision a career where I work directly in manufacturing analytics or operations research, using data to make Mississippi’s automotive industry even stronger. After gaining hands-on experience, I plan to pursue a master’s in engineering management so I can step into leadership roles that champion data-driven decisions and continuous improvement. Ultimately, I see myself contributing to a safer, more efficient, and sustainable automotive industry right here in Mississippi.”

Cooper Shanks, designated a 2025-2026 Nissan Scholar, is a senior at Mississippi State University majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in mathematics. He has worked as a math lab proctor/tutor at MSU and completed three co-ops at Mercedes Benz – one in logistics: mobile equipment management, and two in engineering: body series planning. He served on the Student Co-op Board at Mercedes-Benz, which he also co-chaired. On campus, he has been the business sub-team lead and structures sub-team lead with the Space Cowboys High Powered Rocketry Team, which just won 1^st in their category at the recent International Rocket Engineering Competition. Shanks will lead the Space Cowboys this upcoming year as president. One of Shanks’ mentors at MSU said of Cooper, “ Cooper’s character is equally impressive as his educational, technical, and leadership achievements. He approaches every task with integrity, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude. He is highly respected by his peers and consistently demonstrates resilience in overcoming adversity. Whether working on complex engineering projects or fostering a collaborative environment within a team, Cooper remains focused, reliable, and driven by a genuine passion for his work.”

Lacy Luckett, Director
Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association