By Katie Boggs
Amazon has awarded $16 million in scholarships to U.S. high school seniors across nearly 40 states to study computer science at the college of their choice beginning with the fall 2023 semester.
The 2023 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship is a part of the company’s global philanthropic education initiative. The company allocates $40,000 for each recipient over the course of four years to pursue a degree in engineering or computer science. As well, the scholarship offers the opportunity of a paid internship position under the mentorship of Amazon leaders.
This year’s awardees comprise of seniors from nearly 40 states and territories, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. This cohort is said to be the most diverse yet, including many members of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and math. More than 70% of the selected students identify as Black, Latino and Native American. Another 50% identify as a woman or nonbinary.
“With students from historically underrepresented and underserved communities representing only 18% of [computer science] bachelor’s degrees, we believe that connecting students to computer science education and opportunities helps create a more equitable and inclusive future, across all industries and sectors, for generations to come,” said Victor Reinoso, Amazon’s global director of philanthropic education initiatives.
The selection process includes academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, future goals and financial need. In total, 400 students were granted this scholarship.
Micah Hill, a 2023 Amazon Future Engineer recipient from Laurel, Mississippi, shared that her brother’s academic achievements first inspired her to study computer science. Her sibling, Samuel, was a 2021 awardee of the Amazon scholarship. Based on her interests, Hill organized a week-long coding program for fifth- to eighth-grade girls to learn fundamentals in 3D printing in hopes to inspire young women in the field.
“I didn’t know the statistics regarding women in computer science were so disproportionate,” Hill said. “I wanted to provide girls in my community with an opportunity to learn how to code and print in 3D.”
With the support of her Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, Hill will attend the University of Southern Mississippi and hopes to build a career at a large global tech company.
Angel Feliz, another 2023 Amazon Future Engineer recipient, moved from the Dominican Republic to Providence, Rhode Island, when he was just 9 years old. Feliz said he loves the diverse collaboration that his computer science work offers. He said that it counters the perception of a siloed environment that many have of the field.
“I’m a first-generation immigrant,” Feliz said. “This scholarship means that I will soon be a first-generation college student and can continue exploring pathways in technology without placing a financial burden on me and my family. It also helps me feel motivated. It is important to me to know that I have people supporting me along the way.”
Feliz plans to attend college in the northeast and major in computer science with a minor in cybersecurity.
Amazon is committed to reaching 2 million students from underrepresented communities across the U.S. with real-world, virtual, and hands-on computer science project learning. In addition to the U.S. program, Amazon Future Engineer, the company’s childhood-to-career computer science education program is available in Canada, France, Germany, India and the United Kingdom.
For more information, please visit https://www.amazonfutureengineer.com.
About Amazon Future Engineer
Amazon Future Engineer is a program designed to inspire, educate, and prepare children and young adults from underrepresented and underserved communities to pursue computer science. The program is part of Amazon’s $50 million investment in computer science and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
About CSG Associates in Action
Associates in Action articles highlight CSG Associates’ philanthropic efforts and public-private partnerships throughout the states.