Clover Park Technical College, Lakewood, Washington, has won the 2012 Print and Graphics Scholarship (PGSF) College Poster design competition. The poster, titled “PGSF Scholarships are the KEY, unlock your FUTURE,” will be given to all colleges and high schools in the United States that have printing and graphic communication programs for the 2012–2013 academic year. This student-designed poster is used to promote the availability of scholarships to pursue a career in the graphic communication industry. The posters will be available in the PGSF Booth in Education Main Street during GRAPH EXPO in Chicago, October 7 through October 10.

The Poster design competition was entered by many classes and individual students that used the competition entry as a real working assignment. “Besides the scholarship award that one student gets, the PGSF scholarship program inspires ALL my students,” said John Moyer of, Clover Park Technical College. “My students have researched our industry. Most have made a tough decision to change the direction of their lives and get into this vast industry of graphic communications. This is a life-changing decision. For them to see that there is a national program that supports their decision reaffirms and is inspiring to all. They are not alone; your helping hand leads more than it touches.”

Moyer continued, “In twenty years of Vocational Education, I have never seen so many students at the end of their rope. State government is slashing budgets. Financial aid is pulling back. Funding is drying up. Even student loans are harder than ever to qualify for. With unemployment reaching into the 9% range, the need for assistance has never been higher. Our college is overflowing with students trying to change their lives in a positive way. There is something wrong with this picture. The need has never been greater, and the resources have never been harder to find. I see good students falling through the cracks."

“All of the student submissions to the foundation were of a truly professional caliber, making it a challenging choice for our team of judges,” said Larry Kroll, vice president of development at PGSF. “Wil Houdeshell, Clover Park Technical College's winning student, used a unique approach combining awareness of PGSF and the availability of scholarship funds with a call to fellow students to take action."

More than two hundred college students attending 72 schools are receiving financial assistance through PGSF. However, many more deserving scholarship applicants are turned down due to lack of funds. For copies of the poster, information regarding tax-advantaged contributions, establishing a scholarship through PGSF, or scholarship applications, contact Bernie Eckert, PGSF program administrator, at 412-259-1740 or [email protected].