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Donna Sands, wife of an IAM Local 1458 (District 1888) lifetime member, is making history. She’s the first recipient of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) scholarship to Franklin University, which was recently presented at the USA’s 12th Annual Fundraising Gala in Washington, D.C. Sands has dedicated over 18 years to the Graham Farm & Nature Center (GFNC) in Alabama, where she currently works as program coordinator, and aims to become its director.
Sands’ journey truly embodies union perseverance. In 2017, while conducting a trail survey, she faced a severe, life-threatening injury from a fall into a sinkhole. Through persistence and hard work, despite suffering multiple broken bones and requiring 67 staples and three times as many stitches, she recovered. This inspiring recovery has since been memorialized by a trail at the GFNC, appropriately named “Guardian Angels” and blazed red on the map.
While continuing her vital work at GFNC, Donna returned to school in 2020 as a non-traditional student. She admits she was reluctant to return to school, but took the leap, earning an associate’s degree in business management and a certificate in sustainability, both with summa cum laude honors.
This historic scholarship stems from a new USA partnership with Employee Benefit Systems, Inc. (EBS), making higher education accessible for union families. It offers tuition discounts and flexible online learning.
For Sands, this means earning her bachelor’s of science degree, which is a requirement to advance to director without leaving her critical role at GFNC. This scholarship is more than financial aid; it’s a powerful affirmation of her hard work and unwavering commitment to conservation and education. “This scholarship aligns with my belief and passion,” said Sands.
Her connection to union values runs deep. Her husband is a lifetime member of IAM Local 1458, and she credits unions for providing a voice for members and establishing better working conditions. Her son, a fourth-generation machinist, was also a union scholarship recipient. Beyond work and studies, Donna continues volunteering with outdoor cleanup projects and teaching children about nature, emphasizing, “The need to protect access to public outdoor space is increasingly challenging. The traditions of a sportsman are being forgotten. It is up to us to preserve and pass on the love of the outdoors.”
