Albemarle Scholarship Program Helps Recipients Pursue College or Vocational School 

May 15, 2025

For children of Albemarle employees and retirees, the Gottwald Scholarship Program is an opportunity to reduce the financial burden of higher education and aligns with Albemarle’s strategic giving focus of supporting a future-ready workforce. 

Albemarle established the Gottwald Scholarship program in 2007 to make it easier for students to pursue their higher education dreams, whether at the university level or in through vocational school.  

"The Gottwald Scholarship Program is part of our heartfelt commitment to developing the workforce of the future,” said Dave McDonald, Director of the Albemarle Foundation. “Curiosity is one of our core values at Albemarle, so we want to help our employees’ families embrace this and help students achieve their next level of learning.”  

We spoke with a few past recipients to learn how the scholarship has benefited their education and careers. 

Kara Liimata is the daughter of Eric Liimata, R&T advisor for Albemarle in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received a Gottwald Scholarship in 2019, which helped her pursue a B.S. in biology from Louisiana State University.  

Today, she’s studying to become a physician assistant (PA) at Dominican University in Chicago, Illinois. 

“The Gottwald Scholarship has been immensely meaningful in supporting my journey through higher education,” Liimata says. “Receiving this scholarship not only helped relieve some of the financial burden, but it also gave me a sense of encouragement and validation. Knowing that others recognized my hard work and believed in my potential made a lasting impact. It reminded me that I’m not in this alone and gave me the confidence to keep pushing toward my goals.” 

For Matt Berdon—the son of Martin Berdon, an R&T advisor for Albemarle in Baton Rouge, Louisiana—receiving one of the 2017 Gottwald Scholarships helped him reach his goal of earning a B.S. in finance from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business in New York, New York.  

Today, Berdon is still in New York and working as senior financial analyst at Acorns. 

“The scholarship both validated the work and effort that went into my high school academic achievements and allowed me to attend college with financial peace of mind,” Berdon says. “Higher education is very cost intensive, and having the knowledge that I could better support my educational expenses allowed me to focus more on doing well in school, getting internships and driving towards the best career outcomes that I could.” 

Morgan Palmer earned a B.S. in statistics and economics from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her post-graduate aspirations took her to the University of Bath in Bath, England, where she earned a master’s degree in accounting and finance.  

Today, she’s a regulatory technology (RegTech) engineer at Suade Labs in London. 

“I had ambitious goals but limited financial resources, so the scholarship was a huge blessing,” says Palmer, a 2017 recipient and daughter of Amy Palmer, warehouse manager at Albemarle’s Kings Mountain, North Carolina, site. “I was able to pay off my student loans faster as it greatly reduced the amount I needed to borrow, and this has allowed me to buy my first home this year in the UK.” 

We are proud to congratulate the recipients of the 2025 Gottwald Scholarship awards: 

• Skylar Montgomery (Magnolia, Arkansas) – attending Southern Arkansas University - Floyd D. Gottwald Scholarship recipient 
• Hannah McCall (Kings Mountain, North Carolina) – attending North Carolina State University 
• Karlie McNatt (Magnolia, Arkansas) – attending Louisiana Tech University 
• Braden Lenz (Silver Peak, Nevada) – attending University of Nevada Reno 
• Hunter Chromy (Charlotte, North Carolina) – attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
• Fiona Ren (Pearland, Texas) – attending Texas A&M University 
• Richard Ge (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) – attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  
• Mia Haines (Deer Park, Texas) – attending Texas A&M University-Kingsville 
• Malshi Wijethunga (Kings Mountain, North Carolina) – attending Texas A&M University  
• Advait Shrikhande (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) – attending Lehigh University 
• Maggie Barnes (Deep Gap, North Carolina) – attending University North Carolina at Chapel Hill