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When Tre Simons attends Harvard University next year, he’ll do so with an up to $40,000 scholarship from Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) and a guaranteed internship with the company.
The Curtis Senior High School student had a good feeling when he entered a room in an Amazon Prime Air drone facility on Wednesday. He was part of the Amazon Future Engineer program, and the pomp and circumstance of the day suggested something was in store.
But the feeling of relief and gratitude that washed over him when he opened a plain cardboard box and looked inside beat any surprise.
“There’s financial aid and other ways to pay for college, but to know that I have this, it’s just a relief for me and everyone around me,” he said.
Simons was one of 13 in attendance who received the box, which contained a bright orange laminated piece of cardstock that read, “Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Winner.” The students were among 17 statewide and more than 400 across the country who received the gift.
Confetti rained down on Simons and the other teens as parents teared up and understanding spread across the faces of the recipients. The program not only gives scholarships of up to $40,000 to students pursuing computer science, engineering or related degrees, it guarantees internship and mentorship opportunities from the company.
Recipients also gain access to an emergency grant fund to help with unexpected financial hurdles while they’re in college. Jailynn Primus, an Amazon software engineer who was part of the program’s first cohort, was able to use that grant fund during her time in college when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
“When I opened my box, I realized then that I could attend my dream college (Howard University), and wouldn’t have to settle for an in-state school,” she said. “There are great schools in South Carolina, but I wanted to be a part of the HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) experience and be around people like me.”
Amazon launched the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship program in 2019. The program has committed $54 million in scholarships to 1,350 students from underserved and historically underrepresented communities across the U.S. since its inception.
“This is not a pat on the back for what you have accomplished, but a launchpad for your future,” said Bellevue Deputy Mayor Mo Malakoutian, also an Amazon employee.
Here are the students who were in attendance on Wednesday:
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