SHREVEPORT, La. Caddo Magnet Senior is one of 400 selected students across the country for Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program.
Guangjun “Tom” Wang, a student at his college in the United States who was studying computer science and engineering for his first year of study this fall, received a scholarship worth $10,000. He intends to study computer sciences at Princeton University.
In celebration of Wang’s achievements, a $10,000 surprise donation was made to the Caddo Magnet School class on Tuesday afternoon (April 23).
Wang was the sole student selected from ArkLaTex, and is one of only five Louisiana students to be considered for the 2024 class.
Louisiana also has:
- Clarence Davis of Holy Cross High School, New Orleans
- Elijah Davis of The Willow School New Orleans, New Orleans
- Roselyn Pacheco-Orellana of Amite High School, Amite
- Zachery Simien of Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans.
These scholarships include a paid Amazon internship after the first year of college.
Amazon released a press release stating that this opportunity would allow scholars who qualify to get hands-on work experience under the mentorship of Amazon leaders. Amazon Future Engineer is a global initiative that aims to improve education through philanthropy. Students will receive resources for mental and skill development, as well as an emergency fund in case of unexpected financial commitments. They can also network with their managers and peers.
The criteria used to select the recipients include academic performance, leadership qualities, involvement in community and school activities, previous work experience, goals for future, and financial need.
The fastest growing profession in STEM is computer science. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the computer science market is expected to grow 23% from 2022-2032. This rate of growth was much higher than that of all other occupations.
BLS also reported that the median wage of computer and IT occupations in May 2022 was more than double the average wage across all occupations. The U.S. National Science Foundation reported that Black, Latino, and Native American students are still underrepresented in STEM, with only 26% of bachelor’s degree holders in science and engineering.
Caddo Schools Supt. T. Lamar Goree. The STEM program exposure we provide our students is not just about preparing them to face the future; it also shapes it. We’re opening up doors to a world of endless opportunities for technology careers by equipping our students with STEM skills.
Amazon Future Engineer is Amazon’s global, philanthropic initiative to promote computer science. It aims to improve student access to this subject. This program provides high-quality STEM education and professional development for educators to support school districts in implementing sustainable computer science initiatives. Amazon is funding the creation of custom curriculum to reflect the cultural perspective, experiences and interests of BLNA children.
Amazon Future Engineer also offers project-based modules and virtual career tours that help bring real life role models into classrooms. This allows students to explore future careers through first-hand experiences.
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program was launched in 2019. The program awards hundreds of students each year up to $40,000. This amount can be spread over four years. Amazon Future Engineer is committed to providing $54million in scholarship funds for 1,350 underserved students in the U.S.
AMAZON FUTURE ENGINEER: LEARN MORE
- Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) is an educational program that aims to educate and inspire millions of children from underrepresented groups around the world, including in America.
- Through project-based and school curriculum, students explore computer science, using code to create music, program robots, and solve problems.
- Amazon Future Engineer also offers paid internships and scholarships for four years, worth up to $40,000. This is to encourage diversity in this field.
- This program is also available in Belgium Canada France Germany India UK
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