Colorado Energy Scholar Award Series swells to six full-time endowed scholarship for students pursuing a career in STEM-related fields
Grand Junction – The Colorado Mesa University Foundation and the West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association will announce recipients of the 2019 Colorado Energy Scholar Award Series at the annual Colorado Energy Scholar Awards banquet during the association’s annual meeting. The scholarship awards will be announced and the winners celebrated on February 22 in the Meyer Ballroom. The scholarship awards will include six endowed scholarships with the flagship Colorado Energy Scholar Award worth $12,000.
Association President Chris Clark said the Colorado Energy Scholarship is a merit-based award.
“The Colorado Energy Scholar Award is the largest award in the series and is meant to reward exceptional students we have here in Colorado that choose to study in a STEM- or energy-related field.”
The Colorado Energy Scholar Award was initially funded by an endowment from the association in 2014. The following year Chevron announced an additional award and in 2017 the Shear Family added an endowment for the Energy Management/Landman Program to the series. In 2018, the Heifner Family, Stephen Smith and the energy athlete award were added to the series.
“What started off as a $25k endowment is now marching towards that magical million dollar mark,” said Liz Meyer, CMU Foundation CEO. “The energy industry has stepped up in a big way to make the energy scholar a marquee series here at CMU and their efforts are a model for other sectors to take a hard look at.”
In 2019, the foundation will be distributing for the first time the Steve Smith Women in Energy Award, which is the latest scholarship in the series and seeks to grow the number of women serving in energy-related fields. Scholarships for trade programs at Western Colorado Community College will also be awarded for the first time this year from the Heifner Kennedy Family endowment in the series.
“The association’s long-term commitment to the series is demonstrated by the programs’ rapid growth,” said association chapter Coordinator Cheyenne Ward.
Ward believes the women in energy scholarship is a great award because of her own experience.
“As a woman in the energy field I take great pride in having served in this science and technology heavy industry and I look forward to learning who this year’s new young woman will be.”
The award ceremony is underwritten by Chevron and the Colorado Mesa University Foundation through the scholarship series endowment. The presentation will include a video featuring the recipients. The scholarship selection committee includes representatives of Colorado Mesa University, the association and the CMU Foundation.
For more information about the Colorado Energy Scholar Awards series donors and students are urged to contact Liz Meyer at the CMU Foundation at 970-248-1410.