Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) Announces 2026 Next Step Program Scholarship Recipients

BETHESDA, Md. - April 7, 2026 - The Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG), an under-40 community of the Auto Care

Association, today announced its 2026 Next Step Program scholarship recipients for this year's YANG programming at Auto Care Connect ("Connect"). The Next Step Program offers young automotive aftermarket industry professionals a unique opportunity to establish lasting involvement in the auto care industry. The scholarship recipients will experience and engage in YANG programming at Connect and Spring Leadership Days, part of Auto Care Connect week, all taking place May 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

Auto Care Connect is the Auto Care Association's largest learning experience of the year, where attendees can maximize networking, collaboration and educational opportunities for enhanced industry connections.

• Tiffany Auyeung, Genuine Parts/NAPA
• Shelby McLean, CRC Industries
• Dina Nikocevic, Parts Authority
• Samantha Schearer-Higdon, Schearer's Sales & Service, Inc.
• Joseph Pedorenko, TERREPOWER

The scholarship covers the entire cost to attend the 2026 Auto Care Connect week and provides access to networking opportunities for each of the scholarship recipients. The Next Step scholarship recipients can participate in up to 25 meetings and network with more than 450 veteran industry leaders during this three-and-a-half-day program. "Next Steppers" will experience up-close how the association and various aspects of the industry work.

The YANG programming at Auto Care Connect is tailored to young professionals in the auto care industry to facilitate building connections with peers, learning from industry experts and coming together as one collective industry by sharing the best of ideas and solutions for today's automotive aftermarket industry challenges. This in-person event provides unique and industry-focused programming opportunities to enhance leadership skills and knowledge of the industry.

To learn more and register for YANG's programming at the 2026 Auto Care Connect event, visit autocare.org/yang-at-connect or contact Mary Ieng, manager, community engagement, YANG, at [email protected].