Clinton Combs of Murray State University was recently announced as the winner of the ASSE Foundation SafeStart scholarship in the amount of $5,000.

The SafeStart ASSE scholarship is available to students pursuing undergraduate degrees in occupational safety and health with a minimum 3.0 GPA. But academics haven’t always been Clinton’s strong suit.

“My sophomore year I had two semesters that I performed very poorly. It provided me a wakeup call and put me on the road to my current success,” Clinton says. “From that point on I made a specific goal of a semesterly GPA of 4.0 and reprioritized my academics. It may seem simple, but goal setting and dedication were the keys to my collegiate success.”

Clinton felt the ASSE scholarship was the product of his hard work. And the hard work doesn’t stop with earning the SafeStart scholarship. Clinton will begin a master’s degree in the fall and has long-term plans of attaining a Ph.D.

SafeStart will celebrate the scholarship at the upcoming Safety 2016 ASSE Foundation Donor Reception. Don Wilson, VP of SafeStart, donates the speaking fees he receives from conferences, private corporate events and other gatherings to the ASSE Foundation’s SafeStart scholarship as well as the Room to Read charity. With over 25 years’ experience in education and training, Don knows the importance of investing in the next generation of safety professionals. Don and everyone at SafeStart is pleased to congratulate Clinton on his academic success and wish him all the best in pursuing his master’s degree in the fall.