October 25, 2006 - Estrella Mountain, a Maricopa Community College, has been selected by the National Science Foundation as one of 110 colleges and universities nationwide to receive a grant totaling $482,213 to support scholarships for students seeking careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), over the next four years. The grant, which will end September 30, 2010 will enable the college to fund 21 scholarships annually in the amount of $5000, a total of 84 students over the four year period. Although open to all students, the scholarships will be used to attract economically disadvantaged students from populations generally underrepresented in these career fields, primarily women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. To be eligible for the scholarships, the student must major in any field of science, technology, math, or engineering, demonstrate financial need, and attend college full time. The students will also be required to demonstrate academic potential to succeed in these disciplines, maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA. In addition to the financial assistance, the scholarship will also provide each student with a personal faculty mentor, a professor from their selected discipline who will develop and individual education plan for the student to keep him/her on track to complete coursework at the community college level and prepare them for successful transfer to the university of his/her choice.Though Estrella Mountain has received grants in the past to assist with student scholarships, in addition to the funds developed for scholarship purposes at the college level, this grant is the first of its kind because it opens up new opportunities for students interested in lab sciences, including chemistry, biology, physics and others. Previously, the National Science Foundation awarded a Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarship grant (CSEMS) but now expanded the award to encompass all sciences. For Rey Rivera, Mathematics Faculty at Estrella Mountain and one of the individuals responsible for making this grant a reality, this facet of the grant is one of the greatest rewards. "This grant is open to more STEM disciplines. What that means is we will be able to serve even more students, and that's what matters most."Estrella Mountain Community College is located on Thomas and Dysart Roads in Avondale and offers transfer-ready academic courses and job-specific occupational training to more than 13,000 students annually. Estrella Mountain is part of the Maricopa County Community College District, one of the largest community college districts in the nation. For more information visit www.estrellamountain.edu or www.maricopa.edu .
