40 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • NOVEMBER 28, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
How a scholarship opportunity preps students for their future
According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, in 2020 there will be 1.4 million
computer science-related jobs available,
but there will only be 400,000 computer
science graduates with the skills needed
to apply for those jobs. Furthermore,
although computer science is the fastest
growing profession within the fi elds
of science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM), only 8% of STEM graduates
earn a computer science degree in
school - with only a small percentage of
those students from underserved backgrounds.
To discover the untapped talent
among today’s high school and college
students, scholarship opportunities
are needed to provide the encouragement
and the fi nancial means for more students
to pursue careers in computer science.
With the goal of inspiring and educating
children and young adults to try computer
science, especially students from
underserved and underrepresented communities,
Amazon has founded a program
called Amazon Future Engineer,
which is part of Amazon’s $50 million
investment in STEM and computer science
over the next fi ve years. Amazon
Future Engineer is a four-part, childhood
to-career program that funds programs
ranging from aft er-school coding
classes for kids in grades K-8, to robotics
programs and Intro and Advanced
Placement (AP) computer science courses
for high school students.
One of the highlights of the program is
the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship,
which awards 100 high school seniors from
underserved communities scholarships of
$40,000 over four years to study computer
science at a four-year college or university
of their choice. Th e scholarship award
also includes an off er for a guaranteed, paid
internship with Amazon, aft er students
complete their fi rst year of college, to gain
valuable work experience. It is one of the
only computer science programs to off er
both a scholarship and guaranteed internship
placement to students.
Previous scholarship winner and current
Ohio University student Hannah
Nguyen said, “Being selected for the
Amazon Future Engineer program is
incredibly empowering, especially with
women being so underrepresented in the
fi eld. I’m so excited for my future in computer
science and I’m looking forward
to the amazing opportunity to apply my
knowledge while gaining real-world experience
at this summer internship.”
What are the scholarship requirements?
• Completion of an AP computer science
class in high school
• Intent to pursue a computer science
degree at a four-year college or university
• Teacher recommendation
Other factors considered include the
applicant’s academic performance,
demonstrated leadership, participation in
school and community activities, work
experience, a statement of career and educational
goals, and fi nancial need.
Amazon’s inaugural class of scholarship
winners was announced in April 2019
and includes 100 students from 32 states.
All of the recipients demonstrated fi nancial
need and more than half of the students
awarded the scholarships were from
underrepresented groups in the computer
science fi eld, such as women, fi rst-generation
immigrants and people of color.
Th ese 100 students are currently attending
some of the top universities and computer
science programs in the country.
Another scholarship winner from the
class of 2019, Jailynn Primus, used her
award to enroll at Howard University.
“To me the Amazon Future Engineer
Scholarship means an investment in my
future and the opening of doors that I
thought were previously closed to me,”
she explained. “Being a double minority
in STEM by being both African American
and female, this empowers me to stay
focused on the future I would like to create
for both myself and society.”
To read more about previous scholarship
winners, visit blog.aboutamazon.
com/community/how-raising-her-handin
robotics-club-led-to-an-amazonscholarship.
Applications for this year’s Amazon
Future Engineer Scholarship will be accepted
through January 17, 2020 for current
high school seniors. Interested students
can apply at AmazonFutureEngineer.com.
— Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/AmazonFutureEngineer.com
