SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named eight recipients for the 2025 SIA Women in Security Forum (WISF) Scholarship, a program developed by the SIA Women in Security Forum to “further educational opportunities and promote advancement for the widest spectrum of people possible in the security industry,” according to the association announcement.
Through this scholarship program—open to employees of SIA member companies and SIA student members—each honoree will be awarded $7,500 to use toward continuing education and professional development courses, conferences or webinars, SIA program offerings, repayment of student loan debt and/or other education or academic pursuits.
Who Are the 2025 WISF Scholarship Winners?
The 2025 winners for the SIA Women in Security Forum (WISF) Scholarship are:
- Bianca Banuelos, operations assistant, Safe and Sound Security
- Sushma Nayak, associate mechanical engineer, Allegion
- Haley Nelson, senior communications strategist, Allegion
- Beth Phillips, technical account manager, Genetec
- Yazmina Rawji, relationship manager, dormakaba
- Yarisa Walsh, senior security training assistant, United Nations
- Nikki Williams, North American regional marketing manager, Integrated Control Technology
- Erin Wilson, manager, influencer education, dormakaba
“Congratulations to the 2025 SIA Women in Security Scholarship recipients,” says Tia Eskandari, vice chairwoman of the SIA Women in Security Forum Steering Committee, co-chairwoman of the WISF AmplifiHER Subcommittee and senior director, national field service, at Allied Universal Technology Services.
“As a proud 2022 awardee, I understand how impactful this program is in empowering women to reach their educational and professional goals in the security industry,” she says in the SIA announcement. “This year’s applicants truly represent the women making great strides in our field.”
“SIA and the Women in Security Forum are both a rich and robust space for career growth and elevation in the industry,” says Tanya Turner, co-chairwoman of the WISF AmplifiHER Subcommittee and director of human resources at Salto, in the association announcement.
“Throughout this scholarship selection process, we witnessed countless women in the industry making business-impacting moves and shining a light on why this program is so vital,” she says. “Their stories—full of courage, innovation and barrier-breaking—remind us why uplifting and edifying professional and personal development is essential.
“As this program continues to gain momentum, we hope more businesses will invest in it, recognizing the value of rewarding women who strive to do more and be more. Thank you to all the participants who showcased their amazing talents, the committee members and the sponsors who deeply believed in the program enough to support it,” says Turner.
SIA Introduces Sandy Jones Award
For the first time, SIA will award the top-scoring scholarship applicant each year starting in 2025 with the Sandy Jones Award, a special scholarship distinction named for industry veteran and longtime SIA member Sandra (Sandy) Jones. This year, the inaugural recipient of this award is Yazmina Rawji.
Sandy Jones is a 30-plus-year security industry veteran, insider, dealmaker, author and visionary. Fifteen years after founding one of the industry’s first wholesale distribution companies, she started the consulting firm Sandra Jones and Company, where she and her industry affiliates provide customized financial and profit development services for investors, manufacturers, service providers and system integrators.
Jones was the creator of SIA’s New Products and Solutions Awards and a co-founder and producer of the Securing New Ground conference and served as two-term president of SIA and she is one of only six industry leaders to have been awarded an honorary SIA membership.
