High school seniors received a $40,000 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship to study computer science starting this fall with a paid internship opportunity.
This year’s cohort, which includes high school seniors from nearly 40 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, is the most diverse yet with representation from groups that are currently underrepresented in jobs related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). More than 70% of these remarkable students identify as Black, Latino, and Native American, and 50% identify as a woman or nonbinary.
“Every year, I continue to be inspired by our scholarship recipients’ academic achievements and drive to use their problem-solving abilities to build solutions for their communities,” said Victor Reinoso, global director of Philanthropic Education Initiatives at Amazon. “With students from historically underrepresented and underserved communities representing only 18% of CS bachelor’s degrees, we believe that connecting students to computer science education and opportunities helps create a more equitable and inclusive future, across all industries and sectors, for generations to come.”
Scholarship recipients applied for the opportunity and were selected based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, future goals, and financial need. Amazon surprised the 400 students with news of the award. We met with two of the recipients to learn what inspired them to study computer science.
Micah Hill, Laurel High School
Laurel, Mississippi
Micah Hill was first inspired to consider a career in computer science by witnessing her sibling’s academic achievements. Her brother, Samuel, is a 2021 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipient. Next, her chemistry teacher and the feature film Hidden Figures, which tells the story of a team of Black women NASA mathematicians, confirmed her career aspirations and compelled her to help organize a week-long coding program for fifth- to eighth-grade girls to learn fundamentals in 3D printing.
“I didn’t know the statistics regarding women in computer science were so disproportionate,” Hill said. “I wanted to provide girls in my community with an opportunity to learn how to code and print in 3D.”
With the support of her Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, Hill will attend the University of Southern Mississippi alongside her brother in the fall and hopes to continue inspiring young women by reaching her goal of building a career at a large global tech company. Samuel is excited to show her the ropes at Amazon when she joins her internship in 2024.
Angel Feliz, The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center
Providence, Rhode Island
Angel Feliz moved from the Dominican Republic to Providence, Rhode Island, when he was 9 years old. This year, when he called his mom to tell her he had been awarded the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, he was so emotional, he could barely get out the words.
“I’m a first-generation immigrant,” Feliz said. “This scholarship means that I will soon also be a first-generation college student and can continue exploring pathways in technology without placing a financial burden on me and my family. It also helps me feel motivated. It is important to me to know that I have people supporting me along the way.”
Feliz loves the collaboration that his computer science work has offered to date, which counters the perception of independent, siloed work environments that many have of the field. Feliz plans to attend college in the northeast and major in computer science with a minor in cybersecurity.
Amazon is committed to reaching 2 million students from underrepresented communities across the U.S. with real-world virtual and hands-on computer science project learning. In addition to the U.S. program, Amazon Future Engineer, the company’s childhood-to-career computer science education program, is available in Canada, France, Germany, India, and UK.
Congratulations to the 2023 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipients. Learn more about Amazon’s most recent scholarship cohort.
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