Security Industry Association Announces 2024 SIA RISE Scholarship Awardees

These security industry professionals will receive $3,000 scholarships to be used toward continuing education, repayment of student loan debt and professional development.   

SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named the recipients for the 2024 SIA RISE Scholarship, a program offered through SIA’s RISE community, which supports the education and career development goals of young industry talent and emerging leaders.

Through this scholarship program – open to SIA student members and RISE members who are employees at SIA member companies – each awardee will receive a $3,000 scholarship to use toward continuing education and professional development courses, SIA program offerings and/or other academic or education programs. Scholarship funds can be used to expand knowledge in the areas of business, human resources (HR), information technology (IT), marketing, sales, project management, security engineering and/or risk management.

“The 2024 class of SIA RISE Scholarship awardees is an inspiring, accomplished and dedicated group of individuals who are making a difference in the security industry and actively pursuing their educational and career development goals,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “We are proud to present these honorees with scholarship funds to support them as they grow their knowledge and expertise and foster their leadership in this industry and in the larger community.”

The winners for the 2024 SIA RISE Scholarship are:

• Brian Abraham, area sales manager, Software House
• Kiara Bell, lead information and security compliance analyst, Arcules
• Callie Buzzeo, technical program manager, Meta
• Chasity Cope, HR admin, Down East Protection Systems
• Olivia Doherty, consulting coordinator, Northland Controls
• Devin Gonzalez, product champion, i-PRO Americas
• Amanda Hahn, director of digital marketing, LRG Marketing
• Alisha Hippert, project manager of customer experience, dormakaba
• Alicia Janowicz, HR business partner, Axis Communications
• Justin Lei, senior engineer, i-PRO Americas
• Jennifer Lemoine, program administrator, Convergint
• Pamela Madey, channel sales specialist, BCD
• James Robles, technical trainer, HID
• Rachel Salina, product marketing coordinator, Axis Communications
• Maya Sears, mechanical engineer associate, dormakaba
• Mustafa Shahriyar, escalation engineer, i-PRO Americas
• Shaunté Sivas, business development manager, Systems Distributors, Inc.

Learn more about the honorees here.

Lei is the recipient of the 2024 Pierre Trapanese RISE Scholarship, a special RISE Scholarship presented to recognize Pierre Trapanese, CEO of Northland Controls and past SIA Board of Directors chair. In addition to his volunteer leadership on SIA’s board, Trapanese has been dedicated to the success of young professionals in the industry and is likewise dedicated to professional development opportunities within SIA, having been instrumental in the creation of the Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) certification program.

SIA would also like to thank the following individuals and companies which contributed to the 2024 RISE Scholarship fund. Tax-deductible donations were made through the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST), a not-for-profit organization founded by SIA and the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and dedicated to connecting passionate, innovative professionals with new opportunities in the security industry.

• Access Control Executive Brief
• Allegion
• Axis Communications
• BCD
• Genetec
• Grid Squared Systems
• HID
• Secure Access & Digital Systems
• Securitas
• Wasabi
• ZKTeco

SIA RISE is a community that fosters the careers of young professionals in the security industry. In addition to awarding the annual SIA RISE Scholarship, SIA RISE offers fun networking events for young professionals, the 25 on the RISE Awards presented in partnership with Brivo and FAST and celebrating the industry’s brightest young talent, the RISE Microlearning Series of mini-webinars on top professional development topics, career growth webinars and trade show education tracks, the Talent Inclusion Mentorship Education (TIME) mentorship program for early and mid-career professionals in the security industry and the annual AcceleRISE conference – an essential experience designed to ignite new thinking, strengthen leadership and sharpen business acumen in young security talent. RISE is available to all employees at SIA member companies who are young professionals under 40 or have been in the security industry for less than two years; learn more and sign up to join.

About SIA

SIA is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with over 1,400 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members’ interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through learning and development, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations. As the premier sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA GovSummit, which brings together private industry with government decision makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industry’s top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking.