Mattingly Concrete announces the recipient of its inaugural book scholarship

Mattingly Concrete in Indianapolis, Indiana, has announced the recipient of its inaugural Mattingly Concrete Inc. "Blue Collar Scholar" Book Scholarship. College student and athlete Casey Virgin met and surpassed the requirements for this honor.

“We have always made a point of hiring at least one college student every summer to aid in their collegiate expenses,” says Mattingly Concrete’s owner Will Mattingly. “This sort of snowballed into what it is today. We have opened this scholarship to any student working for any company in a trade. We believe in a higher education and feel that the value for a bit of ‘sweat equity’ is dwindling fast in our younger generations. Hence the name of the scholarship, the ‘Blue Collar Scholar.’"

This scholarship is intended to help pay for books and learning materials required to further the education of the recipient. Mattingly Concrete Inc. firmly and proudly supports a higher level of education past high school for anyone who shows the drive and determination to achieve it, regardless of financial ability. The scholarship applicants can be studying in any field. They must meet the simple requirements and show that they can work and handle a real trade or "blue collar experience" for an entire summer.

In order to be eligible for the scholarship, the recipient must be enrolled in a collegiate institution, must maintain a B average or above on the grading scale, must show exemplary performance and willingness to learn in and out of the classroom, must acquire and maintain gainful full-time employment in a hands-on trade for the entire duration of their summer break, must show up on time and perform tasks to a high standard daily, and must prove they are worth the investment in a written letter with three verified non-family references writing character letters regarding the applicant. The recipient is not required to work at or be affiliated with Mattingly Concrete Inc.

Mattingly says that Casey Virgin proved he could handle the job and completed his daily tasks with conviction throughout his employment at Mattingly Concrete Inc. “His positive attitude and outlook on the ‘real-life’ world that so many youth these days do not fully understand is beyond what most would expect from someone his age, and admirable by those much older,” Mattingly says. “We are happy to award Casey with this scholarship. Casey has set the bar for future generations of recipients.”

Virgin will be returning to Hanover College in Indiana this fall to complete his sophomore year and play football. His field of study is kinesiology and integrated physiology.

(317) 867-4049

Mattingly Concrete Scholarship
Will Mattingly, left, presents the first scholarship check to recipient Casey Virgin.

Got more questions about your project?

  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: jpeg, jpg, gif, png, pdf, Max. file size: 50 MB.
      Allowed formats: jpeg, jpg, gif, png, pdf
    • How would you like us to respond?

    • Note: Some questions will be published anonymously with their answers at the end of this story to share with other readers.