Cornerstone Scholarship recipients attended the 2023 Cornerstone Scholarship Recognition Banquet held June 6, 2023, at the River Parishes Community College United Way of St. Charles Campus.
Cornerstone Scholarship recipients attended the 2023 Cornerstone Scholarship Recognition Banquet held June 6, 2023, at the River Parishes Community College United Way of St. Charles Campus.
This article is brought to you by Cornerstone Chemical Company, LLC.
Cornerstone Chemical Company, LLC has a long history of investing in the community through outreach programs that make a real difference. Since 2019, the Cornerstone Scholarship Program has supported dozens of local students in their higher education pursuits. The next round of scholarship recipients will be announced soon. Until then, we’re going to hear from some of the program’s outstanding former recipients.
With a clear understanding that“education fuels our future and supports the region’s workforce,”Cornerstone places education—particularly in STEM fields—at the core of its community investment priorities. The company’s philosophy is simple but powerful: when students are given the tools and opportunities to succeed, the entire region thrives.
Among the company’s many community programs, the Cornerstone Scholarship Program stands out as a direct investment in the next generation of skilled professionals. Each year, the program awards ten $1,000 scholarships to eligible students who are either graduating high school seniors or currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs at accredited institutions. All recipients must be pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields, reflecting the company’s strategic focus on building a technically skilled workforce.
“The Cornerstone Scholarship helped me be able to focus on my responsibilities as a student and work on my craft rather than having to stress about how I would cover certain costs,” said Jose Carmona, an Instrumentation and Control Systems Engineering Technology major at Louisiana Tech University (Class of 2026). “Cornerstone has given me wonderful opportunities to focus on becoming the best student I can possibly be through their scholarships. With their support, they are investing in the younger generation to make the world a better place for all.”
The scholarships are open to residents of Jefferson Parish’s Third District or children of Cornerstone employees, with additional consideration given to applicants from communities closest to the company’s facility in Waggaman, Kennedy Heights in Avondale, and Old Kenner. This ensures the program continues to reflect and support the local community in meaningful ways.
The selection process is overseen by a committee of local leaders who review applications anonymously, prioritizing fairness and community representation. Notably, students are eligible to receive the Cornerstone Scholarship multiple times throughout their academic journey, increasing its long-term impact on their educational outcomes.
For students like Avery Folse, a Pre-Pharmacy major at the University of Louisiana Monroe (Class of 2027), the scholarship was life changing.
“I have recently been accepted into ULM’s College of Pharmacy, which is an accomplishment that I am very proud of,” said Folse. “If it had not been for my hard work and the financial help of this scholarship, I don’t know if I would have been accepted. It was a huge honor to be awarded the scholarship by such a large company like Cornerstone. They are constantly helping the community, and it makes me feel special that of all the applicants, I was chosen to represent this company.”
Cornerstone’s scholarships are helping students pursue a broad range of STEM degrees from undergraduate through PhD programs. The financial support relieves some of the burden of rising education costs, allowing students to focus on achieving their academic goals, and in some cases even accelerating their paths to graduation.
“The Cornerstone Scholarship funded my summer classes that I took to speed up my undergraduate years,” said Madilyn Sanderson, a graduate student in Speech Language Pathology at Louisiana State University (Class of 2027). “I graduated in three years with my bachelor’s in speech language pathology, which offered me a whole year to gain experience in my field of study before starting graduate school.
“How rewarding it is to live in a community that has supported me and others in this field of study in ways that some people may never receive. It means a lot to [my family] also because they have supported me thus far, and to witness the community I was raised in support me has made it all worth it.”
Joshua Nguyen, now an Economics PhD candidate at Texas A&M (Class of 2028), is a shining example of the scholarship program’s long-term benefits.
“With the support of the Cornerstone Scholarship throughout the years, I was able to graduate Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Rhodes College in 2023,” Nguyen said. “I was able to get into my first choice PhD program at A&M! It’s been an honor to receive the scholarship and have the support of the community to pursue my studies!”
The 2025 Cornerstone Scholarship recipients have already been selected and will be announced soon. Looking ahead, applications for the 2026 scholarship cycle will open in January, inviting a new wave of aspiring STEM students to apply for the company’s support.
By continuing to invest in local students, Cornerstone Chemical Company is helping to build a stronger, more innovative future for the region—one scholarship at a time.
For more information about Cornerstone Chemical Company and the Cornerstone Scholarship Program, visit www.cornerstonechemco.com.
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