The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (Foundation) announces that 12 outstanding students are recipients of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Scholarship, a program for students interested in potentially pursuing a career in the $1.3 trillion equipment finance industry. Each student will receive a scholarship of $5,000 for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Scholarship is part of the Foundation’s Campus to Career academic outreach program developed to attract the next-generation workforce to the equipment finance industry. Launched in 2020 with three initial scholarship awards, the scholarship program has grown steadily with the number of awards increasing to 12 this year due to the generosity of Foundation donors. The program has awarded scholarships to 48 student recipients to date.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Halle Aasand, studying business at Green River College in Auburn, Washington. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in accounting, and recently completed a marketing internship at AP Equipment Financing.
• Immanuella Akumabor, a graduate student at Georgia Institute of Technology pursuing a Master of Science in Quantitative and Computational Finance, expected to graduate in December 2027. She has gained hands-on experience through internships at LexisNexis Risk Solutions and SEO, and currently serves as a financial analyst intern at Georgia Institute of Technology.
• Tiana Burton, pursuing an MBA at Clark Atlanta University and building on over 10 years of leadership and human resources experience gained while serving in the U.S. Army. She earned her bachelor's degree in business administration in 2025.
• Estefany Calderon, a finance and economics student at Loyola University New Orleans, set to graduate in 2028. She was introduced to equipment leasing and finance through a financial administration internship at a local construction firm.
• Mason Conrad, a business administration major concentrating in finance at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, expected to graduate in May 2027. This summer, he will intern at KeyBank’s New York City office.
• Megan Crosby, studying finance student at the University of Florida, set to graduate in May 2028. In addition to her coursework, she was a senior analyst in UF’s FinTech Program and an intern at Square1.
• Kaedin Duong, a student-athlete studying interprofessional health science, data and business analytics at Seton Hall University, set to graduate in 2028. He is currently contributing to the growth and business development of a consumer packaged goods start-up in New York City.
• Grayson Fuchs, a global business leadership major at Saint John’s University, set to graduate in spring 2027. He looks forward to gaining industry experience through his internship at Oakmont Capital Services.
• Zachary Kramer, studying business administration with a finance emphasis at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, expected to graduate in December 2026. He has interned at Western Equipment Finance in their sales department and is currently interning at Hampton Ridge Financial on their sales team.
• Ashley McNeer, currently pursuing a Master of Business in Management at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas, with an expected graduation date of December 2026. She is an account manager at De Lage Landen.
• Carter Pettey, pursuing a dual degree in mathematics and finance at Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin, set to graduate in May 2027. This will be his second summer interning at Abbott Laboratories as a financial analyst.
• Sarah Wells, a finance and accounting major at Indiana University Bloomington, expected to graduate in spring 2027. This summer she will be working as a commercial tax intern at Baker Tilly.

As part of the Foundation’s ongoing effort to engage the next generation work force, the 2026 scholarship recipients will be invited to participate in professional development and networking opportunities with the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA).

“I am delighted to congratulate the Foundation scholarship recipients on their academic achievements, and hope that our scholarship program, as well as other Campus to Career resources, helps them feel welcome in the equipment finance industry,” said Miles Herman, President and CEO of LEAF Commercial Capital, Inc. and Chair of the Foundation Board of Trustees. “The future of our industry depends on the people entering it today, and investing in student talent is a critical way to help ensure a strong pipeline of professionals. We’re grateful to our generous donors for supporting the future workforce of our industry.” 

The Foundation scholarship program is an outgrowth of the success of the Foundation’s Campus to Career Presentation Program in which industry professionals volunteer to lecture at colleges and universities about the equipment finance industry and its possible career paths.