Palo Alto College, Texas AandM University-San Antonio, and Toyota Texas announce STEM scholarship collaboration
By: PAC Public Relations
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tags: Academics, Admissions, Faculty & Staff
Palo Alto College, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. announced a new scholarship on Tuesday, June 19, to support the study of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The first recipient of this prestigious scholarship, Katie Drzymala of East Central High School in the East Central Independent School District, will receive $25,000 based on her intentions to become a math teacher and her outstanding application.
Katie will enroll in Palo Alto College, one of the Alamo Colleges, in Fall 2012 and commit to attending Texas A&M-San Antonio to complete her teaching degree in a STEM area. The scholarship will pay for tuition, fees, and books for four years of college.
“We are excited about this education initiative as we partner with Palo Alto College and Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Placing more STEM teachers in our local independent school districts is critical to the continued growth and sustainment of the required workforce of tomorrow,” said David Crouch, Vice President of Administration at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas. “We have great faith in Katie and her future.”
“This scholarship is a model of partnership and collaboration that demonstrates an understanding of the value of investing in our children and our STEM programs for the benefit of entire communities,” said Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, President of Texas A&M University-San Antonio. “Toyota, Palo Alto College, and Texas A&M-San Antonio are here to help Katie pay it forward for the South Side and all of San Antonio.”
Toyota plans to make the scholarship an annual award that will be open to students at high schools in the following school districts: East Central, Harlandale, Somerset, Southside, Southwest, and South San Antonio.
This critical scholarship offers a double benefit to several area school districts in that students who will attend Palo Alto College and commit to obtain a teaching degree in a STEM field at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. will be eligible to apply, and students will also commit to applying to a teaching position in the school district that they graduated from, ideally returning to their former middle or high school. Katie says she plans to return to East Central High School to teach math.
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here to read the official press release.