Amazon and The Tech Interactive Announce New Amazon Future Engineer Hardware Design & Engineering Scholarship Recipients

SAN JOSÉ, Calif., Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon and The Tech Interactive are proud to announce the recipients of the first Amazon Future Engineer Hardware Design & Engineering (HDE) Scholarship. Fourteen students from underserved and historically underrepresented communities across Northern California will receive $40,000 over four years to study computer science at a college of their choice starting this fall. After their freshman year of college, scholars are eligible to receive a paid, 12-week internship at Amazon Lab126, the research and development computer hardware company responsible for innovations like Amazon Echo and Kindle e-readers, to gain hands-on, practical work experience with mentorship from Amazon leaders.

Recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including their academic achievement, participation in school and community activities, work experience, future goals, financial need, and demonstrated interest and exemplary skill in hardware, robotics, and/or mechanical engineering. Amazon partnered with The Tech to review the applications and select the 14 scholars.

"We are inspired by the talent and work ethic of our Amazon Future Engineer HDE Scholarship recipients, and look forward to seeing them at their Amazon internships," said Victor Reinoso, global director of Amazon's philanthropic education initiatives. "These opportunities are imperative to help students understand career possibilities at a place like Amazon and conceptualize their journey to the tech industry."

Amazon Future Engineer's 2022 Hardware Design & Engineering Scholars:

• Iman Burdine, Alameda, CA
  Encinal High School
  Committed to San Francisco State University
• Rodrigo Castro-Ruiz, San Jose, CA
  Menlo Atherton High School
  Committed to San José State University
• Albert Chang, Cupertino, CA
  Cupertino High School
  Committed to University of California, Santa Cruz
• Marcellina Chang, Daly City, CA
  Westmoor High School
  Committed to Stanford University
• Angel Hernandez Vega, Daly City, CA
  Jefferson High School
  Committed to University of California, Davis
• Giovanni Hernandez, San Mateo, CA
  Junipero Serra High School
  Committed to University of California, Santa Cruz
• Asilah Maryam, Fremont, CA
  American High School
  Committed to University of California, Los Angeles
• Jimin Park, Los Altos, CA
  Los Altos High School
  Committed to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• Elisa Perez Massella, Mountain View, CA
  Los Altos High School
  Committed to San José State University
• Ria Rajput, Palo Alto, CA
  Henry M. Gunn High School
  Committed to University of California, Davis
• Jasmine Tostado, San Jose, CA
  Eastside College Preparatory School
  Committed to Stanford University
• Victor Wong, Daly City, CA
  Westmoor High School
  Committed to San José State University
• Wenhao Xu, Fremont, CA
  American High School
  Committed to Johns Hopkins University
• Diego Zepeda, East Palo Alto, CA
  East Palo Alto Academy
  Committed to De Anza Community College

This new scholarship cohort is the latest initiative from Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon's global philanthropic computer science education program, which aims to bridge the divide between interested students and computer science courses and opportunities. The childhood-to-career education program helps students globally from underserved communities to explore and pursue careers of the future by leveraging computer science and coding skills. Amazon launched the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship program in 2019.

About Amazon Future Engineer
Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood-to-career computer science education program intended to inspire and educate millions of students from historically underrepresented communities globally, including hundreds of thousands of students in the U.S. each year. Students explore computer science through school curriculum and project-based learning, using code to make music, program robots, and solve problems. Additionally, each year Amazon Future Engineer awards hundreds of students with four-year, $40,000 scholarships and paid internships at Amazon, as well as names 10 Teacher of the Year winners, awarding $30,000 prize packages for going above and beyond to inspire students in computer science and to promote diversity and inclusion in the field. The program is currently available in the U.S., UK, France, Canada, India, and Germany. For more information, visit amazonfutureengineer.com.

About The Tech Interactive
The Tech Interactive is a family-friendly science and technology center in the heart of downtown San Jose. Our hands-on activities, experimental labs and design challenge experiences empower people to innovate with creativity, curiosity and compassion. The Tech is a world leader in the creation of immersive STEAM education resources to develop the next generation of problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally. We believe that everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the better. Inspiring the innovator in everyone. thetech.org

SOURCE The Tech Interactive