Edison International is set to award $50,000 college scholarships to 30 high school seniors through its esteemed Edison Scholars Program.
Edison has been awarding more than $15 million in scholarships to 760 students through this program since 2006.
“The Edison Scholars Program recognizes students who want to be makers of tomorrow — the dreamers, inventors, guardians and pioneers — those who dare to be great,” stated the application website, "This is a chance for students with big dreams to advance their education and take part in shaping a brighter future."
And, as for those big dreams, the scholarships really are taking part in shaping their futures.
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Alan Lopez majored in electrical and computer engineering at Rice University. He is now pursuing a Master’s degree in computer science with a specialization in multimedia and creative technologies at USC. He was an Edison Scholar in 2019.
“With the scholarship, I was able to not worry about that [work study]. And I think that that was invaluable for me because college is hard, especially coming from an underprivileged background where I wasn't really exposed to the college experience,” said Lopez.
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Aimee Perales is majoring in Mechanical Engineering at YALE, she was awarded the scholarship this past May.
“I was worried to see how much were the colleges willing to give me on Gift Aid. But I feel like because of the Edison scholarship I am here at Yale because it is assisting me with any additional costs that I have outside, whether that be books, transportation back home, because that's a significant price that I have to pay to see my family back home in California” said Perales.
“This scholarship, not only did it provide me with the scholarship, but a lot of connections with professionals at Edison…I felt like it has allowed me to transition from a shy high schooler to someone more confident, who can pursue STEM and become successful because I have seen these role models working at Edison and continuously making a change not only in Los Angeles but also in my beloved city of East Los Angeles.”
“Seeing how much help there is out there from places like Edison made me want to help everyone else [other students] and say, ‘Hey, you guys, if you're interested in engineering, if you like this stuff you can learn about this. You can go to college and have a great experience. There is help for you there.’ I always pushed students to pursue their education in STEM,” Lopez said.
The deadline to apply is January 23, 2024, at 8 p.m. For more information about the Edison Scholars Program and its impact on the future of STEM education, visit the official Edison International website.
“You don't know what are the outcomes and it never hurts to apply and put yourself out there because it can be the best thing that will happen to you and it's it's kind of what life entails. Just taking those risks,” said Perales, “So definitely to all the high schoolers, continue applying. Do not underestimate yourselves. You guys are capable of more than what you can imagine. And give yourself grace during this time.”
