A recent high-school graduate enrolled at Palo Alto College will be getting word Wednesday of a 4-year, full-ride scholarship.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc., will present the scholarship in support of STEM education.
Toyota and other manufacturers have partnered with the Alamo Colleges to educate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and to train them to work in their plants assembling products from trucks to solar panels.
This time, Toyota is focusing its energy on those who teach STEM courses.
Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio, says a 4-year award is an unusual offer from a business.
"But it also speaks to the vision of some our business folks like Toyota who are willing to invest that kind of money to ensure that we can graduate folks that can help by placing their workers who are ready-to-go," Ferrier said.
Ferrier said the scholarship is specifically aimed at building STEM education in South San Antonio and Bexar Co. and for the second year considered graduates from East Central, South San, Harlandale, Somerset, Southside, and Southwest High Schools.
The full ride includes a $2,000 stipend for a faculty mentor to guide the student through their entire college career.
Last year’s recipient, Katie Drzymala, is graduating from Palo Alto College a year early, and will move on to Texas A&M in the fall.
