Press Release: The AFCEA Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter has announced recipients of the 2015 STEM scholarship for graduating high school seniors. Funds for these scholarships were a result of tremendous community support and sponsorship of the CyberThon 2015 event, led by a major gift of $20,000 from Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan. Ten graduating high school seniors will each receive $1,000 toward college expenses as they pursue degrees in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) of study.
AFCEA officials reported receiving more applicants for the scholarships than for any other offering in the chapter’s history, and were thrilled with the interest from area STEM students. “Our review team was so impressed with the high quality of talent we found in these students,†said Tony Ferguson, AFCEA Pensacola Vice President of Awards and Education. “Their accomplishments in technology and leadership were simply outstanding, and now they head off some of the finest colleges and universities in the country. As Pensacola continues its growth as a regional technology hub, the future for emerging leaders in our area is very bright.â€
The AFCEA Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter made the funds available to local graduates as a result of the recently successful CyberThon event that gave high school students a chance to test their cyber-security skills against real-time cyber attacks. CyberThon garnered widespread support across the Pensacola region, and sponsor donations are now being put to work to continue the effort of supporting STEM students.
“This really is at the heart of the AFCEA mission,†said chapter president Randy Ramos. “One of the core values of the AFCEA international organization is to do everything possible to further the education of the local communities we serve, which is why we work so hard to raise support and make scholarships possible. The Pensacola tech community has really stepped up in recent months, and we are thrilled to be helping students in partnership with their generosity.â€
One of the key contributors making the scholarships possible is the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, which donated $20,000 to the recent CyberThon event. “By supporting these students we are developing a cyber-skilled workforce prepared for high demand careers in law enforcement, the military and in the private sector,†said Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan.
See below for a complete list of scholarship winners. More information and details about selection criteria is available here: http://afceapensacola.org/index.php/scholarships
AFCEA BLUE ANGELS PENSACOLA CHAPTER
2015 AFCEA Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter STEM College Scholarship Recipients:
Devan Grant, West Florida High School of Advanced Technology
University of West Florida, Information Technology
Kristen Ann Gilmore, Jay High School
Pensacola State College, Criminal Justice
Joshua Agyei-Gyamfi, The Stony Brook School
Cornell University, Mechanical Engineering
Jerrad Havemann, Gulf Breeze High School
University of West Florida, Mechanical Engineering
Olivia Liseth, Pensacola High School
Vanderbilt University, Biomedical Engineering
Zachary Mingus, Pace High School
University of West Florida, Computer Science
Aidan O’Daniel, Gulf Breeze High School
Florida State University, Mechanical/Industrial Engineering
Harrison Perkins, Booker T. Washington High School
University of Central Florida, Computer Science – Cybersecurity
Taylor Perkins, Booker T. Washington High School
University of Alabama, Math/Biochemistry
Jonathan Pool, Milton High School
Georgia Institute of Technology, Aerospace Engineering