Echo staff report†
AT&T is providing a $14,700 contribution to the Rochester Community and Technical College Foundation to support its scholarship programs for students.
The AT&T contribution will support 14 scholarships at $1,000 each for RCTC students with financial need who are pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field (science, technology, engineering and math), a construction trade, or an entrepreneurial-related career. The contribution will also support RCTCís Small Business Development Center and its efforts to counsel and assist students interested in entrepreneurship.†
ìWith this contribution from AT&T, we are excited to provide scholarships to RCTC students who are enrolled in STEM or construction trades programs, or who are pursuing a career as an entrepreneur,î said RCTC President Jeffery Boyd. ìWe know these fields will be key growth areas for our local economy, and we need to make sure we have a workforce trained for these jobs. We are grateful to AT&T for helping hard-working students with financial need continue their dream of obtaining a college education.î
RCTC anticipates there will be a growth in the fields of STEM, construction, and entrepreneurship due to the Destination Medical Center initiative. With Mayo Clinic at its heart, DMC is a 20-year economic development initiative to position Rochester as the worldís premier destination for health and wellness. With more than $5 billion in projected private investments over the next 20 years, DMC will provide the public financing necessary to building the public infrastructure and other projects needed to support the vision.
The contribution from AT&T will be used by RCTC to provide scholarships to students with a financial need who plan to pursue careers in STEM programs through various RCTC programs, including computer science, engineering, science, health-care informatics, and nursing. Additionally, RCTC will provide scholarships to students studying carpentry, building utilities mechanics, and computer aided drafting technology to meet the future construction job projections of the DMC initiative.
ìAT&T Minnesota is committed to helping advance the education of our young people, particularly in the critical fields of science, technology, engineering and math,î said Paul Weirtz, president of AT&T Minnesota.† ìWe are proud to support the scholarship program at RCTC and help local students receive the STEM and construction education they need to be prepared for careers in the 21st century.î
The DMC initiative also will provide opportunities to create new small businesses in Rochester. The RCTC Small Business Development Center offers, at no cost, confidential consulting to help individuals overcome the challenges of starting and running a successful business. RCTC also will use the AT&T contribution to provide scholarships to RCTC students who have a financial need and either currently have a small business or plan to start a small business after graduation.†