The Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards will honor these students for their accomplishments Wednesday, May 20, with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 7 p.m. at Rice University’s Rice Memorial Center.
According to the National Science Foundation, U.S. universities awarded fewer than 76,000 degrees in engineering in 2007. Of those, only about 5,100 were received by Hispanic students.
To meet the challenge of improving the number of minorities within the science, technology, engineering and mathematic fields, ExxonMobil is committed to supporting organizations and programs that focus on improving education and career opportunities for minorities. The Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards is one example of the educational programs supported by ExxonMobil.
After graduation from Friendswood High School, Carolina White will go on to study either medical or electrical engineering at Rice and wants to use nanotechnology to do cancer research. Her sights are set beyond studying. “I want to apply my knowledge to real world causes to make a difference,” Carolina said. She speaks passionately about her love of science, and she is excited about having a chance to make her mark on the medical world.
She plans to attend graduate school after she completes her undergraduate studies at Rice. Carolina actively participates in service projects, and she used her mathematical and scientific talents when she spent six months in Honduras teaching health classes and helping build schools with the Amigos de las Americas program. She also volunteered at Texas Children’s Hospital, where she visited and talked with patients and acted as translator for Hispanic patients.
Allison Piwetz, White’s classmate at Friendswood, has big aspirations as well. She will study chemical and biomedical engineering at Rice University and plans to work toward clean energy.
“I want to stay in the Houston area and do research with either a company or the university,” Allison said. She competed for three years in the International Sustainable World (I-SWEEEP) engineering and science fair. Her wind energy project made it to the international science fair. Her extracurricular activities include interning at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in the Astronomy department.
Carolina White, who will graduate from Friendswood High School with Piwetz on May 31, is the gold medallion winner of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards and will take home a $3,000 scholarship from the ExxonMobil Foundation. and Allison Piwetz, Friendswood High School Valedictorian, will take the $1,000 bronze medallion award.
(For more information, contact Terry Abbott, Drive West Communications, 281.733.9100, or Adriana Villarreal, Drive West Communications,713.459.3495) |
