Sixteen Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) students were recently awarded scholarships through the National Science Foundation's Emerging Scholar Program. Each student received a one-year award of up to $5,000 to be distributed equally over two semesters. This year, the scholarships totaled more than $78,000 between the 16 students, allowing them to continue their education while receiving the support they need to be successful in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The Emerging Scholars Program is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation which was awarded to EMCC last year. The program targets excelling, full-time students who have a financial need and an interest in the STEM fields. The program allows student participants to interact with faculty mentors who will assist them in obtaining information in their STEM field of interest and summer internships so the student can gain real-world experience while in school. "The interaction between the student and faculty members as well as the summer internships are cited as a reason for continued success at the university level," said Rey Rivera, mathematics faculty.
The students who received the scholarships are Kerry Audisho, Ngoc Bui, Jacob Grandy, Rachel Grandy, Lyna Ho, Paul Martin, Judah Montenegro, Jacki Morse, D'Christopher Newton, Salvador Rivas, Jose Robles, Karen Rodriguez, Jon Schubel, Martin Solis, Carl Vasil, and Vanessa Wagers.
"I feel honored to be a part of the program," said EMCC sophomore Jon Schubel. Schubel intends to transfer to either Arizona State University or University Arizona to participate in an industrial engineering program. "I am very lucky to be part of the Emerging Scholars Program so I can receive guidance and preparation for the future."