FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association and Chevron have awarded their 2014 STEM Scholarships to 20 high school seniors who will pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines in college.
The scholarship recipients are passionate about golf and have been active playing for their school and/or involved in youth golf oranganizations such as LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and The First Tee. They have also demonstrated a dedication to excel in STEM disciplines in the classroom and with their extracurricular activities.
“There is a compelling connection between the game of golf and the principles of STEM, and these students have demonstrated their passion and commitment to both,” said Sarah Hirshland, senior managing director of business affairs for the USGA. “On behalf of the USGA and our partner, Chevron, we applaud these scholarship recipients for their efforts and hope that their stories will inspire more students to pursue STEM-related careers.”
Students were awarded with scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $10,000, which may be renewed for up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned. The scholarship recipients will attend accredited four-year colleges and universities and will focus on STEM-related courses.
“Chevron is proud to partner with the USGA and award these hard-working, deserving students with STEM scholarships,” said Steve Woodhead, manager of global social investment for Chevron. “As we continue to strengthen our investment in and commitment to STEM, we are excited to support these students as they work to develop the practical and critical thinking skills needed to become the inventors and innovators of the future.”
2014 STEM Scholarship Recipients
- William Blaser, Waialua, Hawaii, Stanford University
- Kenzie Jenson, Fargo, N.D., North Dakota State University
- Logan Lewis, Grinnell, Kan., Colorado School of Mines
- Wyatt Navarro, Naples, Fla., Princeton University
- Joshua Price, Dublin, Calif., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Matthew Rosenberger, North Richland Hills, Texas, University of Texas at Austin
- Emily Smith, North Mankato, Minn., Harvard University
- Dexter Wilson, Jenera, Ohio, Wayne State University
- Cynthia Yin, Thousand Oaks, Calif., Stanford University
- Nicole Zatorski, Ft. Wright, Ky., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The scholarships are part of a multi-year partnership to develop programs that encourage students to pursue STEM education and careers. Since 2012, the USGA and Chevron have provided more than $1.2 million in charitable support for programs such as the First Green Foundation, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and The First Tee. Together, they collaborated with NBC Learn, the educational arm of NBC News, to create the “Science of Golf” video series, a 20-part program that explores STEM topics through the game of golf. Made especially for use in the classroom, these videos are aligned with lesson plans and national state education standards, and are available to the public at no cost at http://nbclearn.com/Golf.