Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced that 40 students from hometowns across its service area will receive scholarships totaling $250,000 from the 2021 Better Together STEM Scholarship Program.
The PG&E Corporation Foundation (The Foundation) funds the scholarships. This year, The Foundation is funding 20 scholarships of $10,000 each and 20 scholarships of $2,500 each. The scholarships are given to students pursuing a degree in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines. STEM education fosters ingenuity, creativity, and experimentation, leading to new ideas, innovations, and technological advancements that can have global impact.
Jose Ochoa of Mendota is attending the University of California, Berkeley.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected as the recipient of the PG&E STEM Scholarship. Receiving this award encourages me to keep on persevering, making my family proud, and breaking boundaries. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and inspiring to me. I hope to one day be able to do the same for the youth of the next generation,” said Ochoa.
Scholarship winner Amirlan “Amy” Erdenedalai of Alameda is a sophomore at the University of California, Irvine, pursing a degree in environmental engineering. Erdenedalai hopes to work in the hydrology field to improve universal water quality and promote sustainability.
“When I first saw the email declaring that I was one of the scholarship recipients, I was beyond thrilled and filled with joy. I was practically dancing in line for my school ID. Thanks to PG&E’s extremely generous scholarship, I will be the first in my family to be studying and graduating from a college in the United States. This scholarship has further motivated me to value my college education and granted me the power to make my dreams and goals a reality,” said Erdenedalai.
Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, demonstrated participation and leadership in school and community activities, and financial need.
“All of us at PG&E and The Foundation are focused on California’s future and supporting inclusive programs that assist the next generation of creators and innovators in STEM-based fields,” said Robert Kenney, PG&E Senior Vice President, Regulatory and External Affairs, and Chair of The PG&E Corporation Foundation Board of Directors.
Winners must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2021-2022 academic year and be seeking their first undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year institution in California.
Supporting Local Scholars
Since 2012, the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded more than $6.5 million to accomplished students based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement. These charitable donations will come from PG&E shareholders, not PG&E customers.
In addition to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E's 10 employee resource groups (ERGs) and two engineering networking groups (ENGs) award scholarships to help offset the cost of higher education. The funds are raised totally through employee donations, employee fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company's employee giving program. Since 1989, more than $5 million ERG scholarships have been received by thousands of recipients.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
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