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TCC announces class of 19 for its second STEM Promise Program scholarship

STEM Promise Program scholars

Sumner Darling mapped out the entire Earth in elementary school. Jena Essary taught herself coding shortly after her 10th birthday. Breiten Liebell constructed a fully functional replica of a Ferris Wheel by memory as a 5-year-old.

The high school students are among Tidewater Community College’s second class of STEM Promise Program scholars. Nineteen students will pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related disciplines at TCC and complete two-year associate degrees at no cost for tuition and fees under the Women’s Center STEM Promise Program.

“Through the generosity of our donors, the Women’s Center STEM Promise Program is contributing to the diversity of the Hampton Roads workforce by creating a pipeline of women and minority students into the STEM disciplines,” said Jeanne Natali, director of TCC’s Intercultural Learning Center. “Our STEM Promise scholars will get a solid academic foundation at TCC, graduate with no student debt and be set to transfer to any number of public or private universities.”

Last fall TCC welcomed the inaugural class of STEM Promise scholars who will graduate in spring 2019. Elizabeth River Crossings fully funded all 10 of those scholarships with a donation of $120,000.

In addition to TCC’s smaller class sizes and interaction with professors invested in student success, STEM scholars receive specialized support from dedicated advisors and mentoring and career exploration from the Women’s Center.

TCC’s 2018 Women’s Center STEM Promise Scholars and their programs are:

Associate of Science in Engineering

  • Taylor Bowers, Chesapeake
  • Emma DeLosReyes, Virginia Beach
  • Erin Fitzpatrick, Virginia Beach
  • Zachary Fuge, Virginia Beach
  • Christian McClenney, Virginia Beach
  • Matthew Rathbun, Zuni
  • Deven Singleton, Chesapeake
  • Isaac Vanderley, Virginia Beach

Associate of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology

  • Kalen Anderson, Portsmouth
  • Breiten Liebell, Virginia Beach

Associate of Science in Science with a Specialization in Computer Science

  • Courtney Carr, Virginia Beach
  • Rhys Dailey, Virginia Beach
  • Jena Essary, Chesapeake
  • Caroline Jacobs, Chesapeake
  • Maurice Price, Chesapeake

Associate of Applied Science in Information Systems Technology

  • Kiana Brown, Chesapeake
  • Sumner Darling, Virginia Beach
  • Seth Greiling, Chesapeake
  • Shannon O’Hara Wiora, Virginia Beach

Anyone with an interest in applying to TCC’s STEM Promise Program should contact theEnrollment Team at 757-822-1111. Interested donors can contact the TCC Educational Foundation at foundation@tcc.edu.