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Andis Company Awards First Groom Nation Scholarship

Pet Age Staff//September 13, 2017//

Andis Company Awards First Groom Nation Scholarship

Pet Age Staff //September 13, 2017//

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In an expanded partnership with the Animal Behavior College (ABC), Andis Company awarded Robert Swan from McKinney, Texas, the brand’s first Andis Groom Nation scholarship to ABC’s Certified Pet Grooming Program.

“We are proud to be able to give back to the grooming community and offer our first-ever Andis Groom Nation Scholarship,” said Megan Mouser, Andis animal education manager. “At Andis, we believe proper education is one of the most important tools for success. We’re excited to see Robert jumpstart his career in this exciting industry.”

More than 130 applications from around the country were submitted and reviewed by a panel of grooming experts. Swan, a military veteran who is making a career change, was chosen for his current involvement in the animal community and his track record as a fast learner in the grooming salon. He volunteers for a local rescue group called League of Animal Protectors and hopes to receive a Master Groomer Certification.

Once certified, he plans to open his own business to help rehabilitate and teach other veterans how to properly groom pets. The Andis Groom Nation Scholarship will be the first step in transforming Robert’s passion into a profession.

“After several tours in Iraq as a United States Marine during the height of the war, I was Honorably Discharged after nine years of service and had to look for a new career. The transition has not been easy dealing the health effects and trauma from war in Iraq, but working with animals—many that are also injured—really helped my rehabilitation and made a difference in my life,” Swan said. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have received the Andis Groom Nation Scholarship and am eager to enroll in the Pet Grooming Program in the pursuit of my dream to become a Certified Groomer.”