Mechanical Engineering Major Zoe Smith Named Lockheed Martin STEM Scholar
Smith is in the 2019 Dean’s Leadership Institute and is the industry/alumni liaison for the CSULB chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). As soon as she heard about the scholarship from her advisor Tu Ngo, she decided she would apply.
“This money will help me financially, personally and academically,” said Smith, who hopes to graduate with as few loans as possible and has been working as treasurer of the Residence Hall Association.
Next year, she plans to focus more on her studies and engineering projects. “My greatest goal is to create inventions that will impact people and their daily lives. In college, there are a lot of resources that I can use to further develop my vision,” she said. “I really couldn’t be more grateful to Lockheed Martin and the people who made this possible.”
The Lockheed Martin STEM Scholars originate from 89 colleges and universities across the country and are drawn from a range of engineering disciplines. The program is geared toward high school and college undergraduate students planning to pursue a major in engineering or computer science, who demonstrate financial need and come from an underrepresented group or underserved community.
“Lockheed Martin is proud to provide opportunities to students who want to develop their talents and build a better world,” said Patricia L. Lewis, Lockheed Martin senior vice president of Human Resources. “Our scholarship recipients are among the best and the brightest – individuals who one day will develop breakthrough solutions that will shape our nation’s future.”
Lockheed Martin received 6,333 applications and is awarding 200 scholarships in 2019. Students will receive up to $40,000 total in scholarship funding, or $10,000 per school year for up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever comes first. As the program grows, Lockheed Martin will increase the number of participants to 1,000 students and, at full capacity, will be awarding $10 million in scholarships annually. Recipients will also be eligible for a paid Lockheed Martin internship opportunity.
The program is being funded by proceeds from tax reform and is part of a larger investment of $460 million by Lockheed Martin in education and innovation. Some of the other investments include $100 million in employee training and educational opportunities and a $10 million Lockheed Martin Innovation Prize competition. The Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship program will reopen for the next round of applications in January 2020.
