2019 Whirlpool/OneEnergy STEM Scholarships
When the wind blows, Whirlpool gets power and students get scholarships—thanks to partnership between Whirlpool Marion Operations and One Energy LLC. In 2019, seven local students have been selected by Marion Community Foundation’s scholarship committee to receive the Whirlpool/One Energy Megawatt Scholarships. These include: Breanna Napper, Madison Britton, Eli Rawlins, Alexis Kowalczyk, Brenden Bosh, Dalton Arndt, and Phillip Nicol, who is a two-time recipient of this scholarship.
Three of the students receiving awards from the Whirlpool Corp/One Energy STEM Scholarship Fund are members of this year’s graduating class from Marion area high schools and four are current college students. The awards are for the 2019-2020 academic year for students pursuing college degrees in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, math, or related fields.
The college students include Nicol who is now a junior at Harvard University. He has been awarded $5,000 to assist with his college studies in mathematics. He is an alumnus of Harding High School.
Napper is sophomore at Marion Technical College and alumna of Ridgedale High School and Tri-Rivers Career Center. Her $2,000 award will assist with her engineering studies. She is specializing in robotics and automation.
Also a Ridgedale High School graduate, Britton is a college sophomore studying electrical engineering. She will attend either The Ohio State University at Marion or the University of Akron in the fall with her $2,000 scholarship award.
Kowalczyk has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship. She is a Pleasant High School alumna and currently a junior at Ohio State studying aerospace engineering.
River Valley graduating senior Rawlins has been awarded $2,000 to assist with his studies in automated engineering he intends to pursue at Marion Technical College.
Bosh will attend Ohio State Marion after he graduates from Pleasant High School. His $2,000 award will assist with his engineering classes.
Arndt is set to graduate from Harding High School and pursue studies in computer engineering at Ohio State Marion. His $1,000 scholarship award will assist with his college expenses.
Whirlpool Corporation and One Energy created this scholarship fund at Marion Community Foundation in 2017 to support Marion area students pursuing an education in STEM fields. According to Dean Jacob, President and CEO of Marion Community Foundation, the scholarship fund was created as part of the partnership and investment in Marion by One Energy in conjunction with the building of three wind turbines at Whirlpool’s Marion Operations. The $10.5 million wind farm project west of the Whirlpool plant was constructed by One Energy and now produces nearly 20 percent of the Marion plant’s power needs from wind energy.
“Marion’s largest corporate citizen – Whirlpool Marion Operations – and One Energy have made a commitment which will benefit local students for the next 20 years,” said Joe Hopple, Whirlpool’s Director of Engineering. “Each year, Whirlpool and One Energy contribute to Marion Community Foundation to offer STEM scholarships, which range from $1,000-$5,000 per student. In turn, the Foundation awards scholarships to Marion County residents to pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, or math, with special consideration given to applicants who will attend our local universities—Ohio State Marion or Marion Technical College.”
This year’s recipient names will be inscribed on the tower bases of the wind turbines, alongside the 18 names of recipients from the past two scholarship programs.
The Whirlpool/One Energy Megawatt Scholarships are part of Marion Community Foundation’s annual Scholarship Program, held each spring. The Foundation’s scholarship program provided a total of $403,000 in awards from 122 funds to 189 recipients this year.
Applicants for the Whirlpool/One Energy Megawatt Scholarship must be pursuing an education in a STEM field, attend a high school in Marion County, and maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher. Both high school students and graduates are eligible. The awards are available for college expenses, including tuition and fees, books, supplies, and equipment.
Additional information on the scholarship partnership between Whirlpool Corporation and One Energy can be found at the websitewww.megawattscholarships.org. Specific details of the local scholarship fund at Marion Community Foundation are available by calling 740-387-9704 or visiting our scholarship page.
