Top three winners earn a combined $50,000 in awards.
PHOENIX, Aug. 17,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute (UTI)
has awarded tuition grants to three female students planning
to pursue a STEM education and career after they graduate high
school. All three applied through a grant program sponsored by UTI
and IGNITE Worldwide, a non-profit organization working to change
gender and racial equity in STEM. The students earned a combined
$50,000 in total grants to cover a
significant portion of their future UTI tuition.
Grant applicants were asked to describe a time in their lives
when they tried a new, difficult activity that helped them gain
more self-confidence. First place winner Katherine West of Clarkson, Mich., earned a
$25,000 scholarship grant by
describing her experience enrolling in the Collision and Repair
program at Oakland Schools
Technical Campus in Clarkston,
Mich. West said she had to face the fear of beginning a new
course and knowing she would be one of the few female students in
the program.
"I was terrified initially because I didn't know anything about
cars, and I was aware of the stigma surrounding women in a
male-dominated industry," said West. "Then, I found out I was not
the only girl in my class, and as the class went on, things started
clicking."
Liberty Bowman of Stevens Point, Wis., placed second, earning a
$15,000 scholarship grant. Bowman's
essay recounts her experience trying rugby for the first time,
despite knowing nothing about it and receiving a fair amount of
doubt from friends and family.
"Although these comments made me have doubts about myself, I
didn't let them stop me," Bowman said. "Despite all the fears and
negativity, I went for it. After the first few practices, I was
told I needed to play more aggressively. So, each day, I tried to
work on it more."
Third place winner Denia Gomez
from Deerfield Beach, Fla., shared
how learning a new instrument, typically played by male students in
her school's marching band, taught her the importance of pursuing
difficult skills. Gomez believes there was a lesson in her
experience she would've passed on to her younger self.
"I would definitely tell my younger self to do whatever makes
you happy, no matter what gender norms tell you. The best thing
about difficult tasks is that you will gain a lot of experience and
grow to be a strong, young woman the more you put yourself out
there and do the things most people wouldn't imagine a girl doing,"
said Gomez.
In addition to scholarship grants, UTI's support of IGNITE
Worldwide also includes facilitating on-campus and virtual
conferences that give female students across the country the
opportunity to hear from women who are paving the way in the
skilled trades.
"On behalf of UTI, I want to congratulate the winners and thank
all the participants who shared important moments in their lives
that led to their personal growth," said UTI CEO Jerome Grant. "We look forward to welcoming
these motivated students to our campuses after high school, where
they will see the steps we are taking to diversify our student body
and, ultimately, the transportation industry. Our employer partners
look to us to help meet their need for skilled workers, and we know
that a diverse workforce benefits those employers as well as the
economy."
West and Bowman plan to attend the UTI-Lisle campus near
Chicago. Gomez has chosen to stay
in her home state by attending UTI-Orlando.
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
Founded in 1965 and headquartered
in Phoenix, Universal Technical
Institute's (NYSE: UTI) mission is to serve our students,
partners, and communities by providing quality education and
support services for in-demand careers. Approximately 250,000
students have graduated from one of UTI's 16 campuses located
across Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North
Carolina, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, and Texas. UTI's campuses are accredited by the
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC),
while its employer-aligned technical training programs are offered
under four brands: Universal Technical
Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute / Marine Mechanics
Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of
Technology. For more information and a complete list of all
programs offered, please visit www.uti.edu or follow on
LinkedIn @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and on Twitter @news_UTI.
Media Contact
Alanna
Vitucci
avitucci@uti.edu
480-710-6843
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SOURCE Universal Technical
Institute, Inc.