SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that 100 high school seniors from 32 states across the country will receive the first-ever Amazon Future Engineer scholarship of $10,000 per year over four years to study computer science at a college of their choice. The scholarship winners will also receive a guaranteed paid internship offer at Amazon after their freshman year of college to gain work experience. Recipients were chosen for their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, participation in school and community activities, work experience, future goals, and diversity. All of the recipients demonstrated financial need and more than half of the students are from an underrepresented group in the computer science field. See what this scholarship means to one of its recipients here.
“This scholarship is very important because it means when I go to college, I won’t have to constantly worry about money,” said Leo Jean Baptiste, from Orange High School in Orange, New Jersey. “I have an internship at one of the top companies in the world – I feel relieved knowing that I have the opportunity set up ahead of time.”
“Leo is going to be a brilliant computer scientist and, more than that, he wants to use computer science to really make a change and better the world,” said Hooman Behzadpo, Leo’s math and computer science teacher at Orange High School. “This is a phenomenal opportunity for Leo, and it’s a phenomenal thing for the community. But equally as much, it’s a fantastic opportunity for future generations of students.”
“This is a huge help for all of these students about to start college,” said senior House Education Committee Member Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC). “As a former professor, I know higher education is becoming increasingly expensive, and it’s so important for students who need extra financial support to get that, especially if it helps them pursue a promising, rewarding, and in-demand field of study like computer science.”
“We are confident that these scholarship recipients are our country’s next generation of world-changing inventors and leaders. They are an impressive, hard-working group, and we’re thrilled to call them our first class of Amazon Future Engineer scholarship winners,” said Jeff Wilke, CEO, Worldwide Consumer, Amazon. “This scholarship is a reflection of our appreciation for the work these students have done so far, and an investment in them and the future we all share. We are eager to see the bold paths paved by these students as college students, Amazon interns, and beyond.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2020 there will be 1.4 million computer-science-related jobs available and only 400,000 computer science graduates with the skills to apply for those jobs. Computer science is the fastest-growing profession within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field, but only 8% of STEM graduates earn a computer science degree, with a small number from underprivileged backgrounds. Students from underprivileged backgrounds are 8 to 10 times more likely to pursue college degrees in computer science if they have taken AP computer science in high school.
Launched in November, 2018, Amazon Future Engineer is a four-part childhood-to-career program intended to inspire, educate, and prepare children and young adults from underrepresented and underserved communities to pursue careers in the fast-growing field of computer science. Each year, Amazon Future Engineer aims to inspire more than 10 million kids to explore computer science; provide over 100,000 young people in over 2,000 high schools access to Intro or AP Computer Science courses; award 100 students with four-year $10,000 scholarships, as well as offer guaranteed and paid Amazon internships to gain work experience. Amazon Future Engineer is part of Amazon’s $50 million investment in computer science/STEM education. In addition, Amazon Future Engineer has donated more than $10 million to organizations that promote computer science/STEM education across the country.
Rising high school seniors can apply for the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship starting in November, 2019. Requirements for the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship include: completion of an Advanced Placement Computer Science course in high school, intent to pursue a computer science degree at a four-year college or university, and a teacher recommendation. Other factors considered include: academic performance, demonstrated leadership, participation in school and community activities, work experience, a statement of career and educational goals, and diversity. Amazon Future Engineer is currently accepting applications for the high school piece of its program at www.amazonfutureengineer.com.
About Amazon in the Community
Amazon is committed to ensuring all children and young adults, especially those from underprivileged, underrepresented, and underserved communities, have the resources and skills they need to build their best future. Amazon focuses on building long-term, innovative, and high impact programs that leverage Amazon’s unique assets and culture. Initiatives include Amazon Future Engineer, designed to inspire and excite 10 million children and young adults from underprivileged and underrepresented communities each year to pursue an education in computer science, as well as programs that support immediate needs, including fighting childhood hunger by providing access to millions of breakfasts through its nationwide Rise and Smile program, addressing family homelessness through donations and housing a homeless shelter in its Seattle headquarters, and global relief efforts for people in need following natural disasters.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
