USA Presents Scholarships to Outstanding Students

Thirty-one outstanding high school students, many of whom are children of USA employees, were recently recognized for their academic achievements, leadership and community service with awards through the USA Scholarship Program.

Now in its eighth year, the USA Scholarship Program was established to recognize two groups of students: outstanding students with USA parents and outstanding students in the community at large who are pursuing careers in engineering.

Since its inception, USA has awarded 235 scholarships. Of those, 49 percent have been awarded to female students and 53 percent to minorities.

“It is very gratifying for our company and for me, personally, to be able to contribute to the continued success of these students,” said Shauna Holman-Harries, USA’s Manager of the Diversity and Compliance Office. “Doing well in school takes commitment, dedication and hard work. As a company, we believe in the importance of education and are pleased to be able to help them on their path to success.”

The USA Scholarship Program is comprised of two types of scholarships: those administered through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) and those administered through the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES).

The scholarship criterion is rigorous, Holman-Harries said. The candidates are evaluated on the basis of their PSAT (NMSC), SAT or ACT scores; academic record throughout high school; significant activities; leadership positions held; and contributions to the school and community. They also must receive a recommendation from their high schools and write an essay about themselves. Each scholarship is a one-time award of $2,500 for college undergraduate study.

The 19 scholarship recipients in Texas this year represent 12 different high schools in the Houston area. Recipients were Warnessa Freeman, Ball High School; Kristina Macias, Ball High School; Evan Corning, Clear Lake High School; Maria de Lourdes Corona, The Woodlands High School; Joshua Kuhn, Clear Creek High School; Khanh Nguyen, Morton Ranch High School; Erinn Ogburn, Clear Lake High School; Karen Osequeda, Clear Lake High School; Cynthia Paredes, J. Frank Dobie High School; Daniel Pham, I.H. Kempner High School; Miles Raizada, Clear Brook High School; Nancy Phan, Memorial High School; Amanda Rodriguez, John H. Reagan High School; Roshni Shah, Clear Lake High School; Jill Swindells, Friendswood High School; Jessica Tallman, Clear Creek High School; Christina Tamayo, Humble High School; Humsini Viswanath, Clear Lake High School; and Renee Wang, Clear Lake High School.

The 11 Florida scholarship recipients this year represent eight central Florida high schools and one home school. The Florida scholarship recipients were Soraya Alivandi, Cocoa Beach High School; Caitlin Brewer, Space Coast High School; Michael Cheng, Winter Park High School; Nicole dePaz, Winter Springs High School; Turner Gibson, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy; Gustavo Marrero, Deltona High School; Tiffany Morgan, Astronaut High School; Katie Murphy, Cocoa Beach High School; Amy Ratliff, home school program; Kelly Schindler, West Shore High School; and Alexandra Taraboletti, Astronaut High School.

The Alabama scholarship recipient this year was Jonathan Rice, a graduate of Butler High School, who was a recipient of the USA MAES Pre-engineering Scholarship Award.

“We’re proud to be able to support these outstanding students as they embark upon their college careers,” Holman-Harries said. “They have already established a very solid foundation for their future, and we’re looking forward to watching these remarkable young people reach their goals and build their dreams.”

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