Bright students create even
brighter future for Puerto Rico
OUR FOUNDATION
Puerto Rico students
receive NFE
Foundation scholarships
As a teenager, Angélica C. Soto Pomales loved spending time with her aunt, an engineering student at Polytechnic University in Puerto Rico (PUPR). “She would always show me what she was doing and explain it to me, and when she graduated, she would bring her projects home, so she could show me what she was working on,” says Angélica. “When I got older, on occasion she would take me into her office for me to work with her.”
Today, thanks to this inspiration, Angélica is majoring in electrical engineering at PUPR, where she is also one of four undergraduate engineering students who recently each received one of our $5,000 New Fortress Energy (NFE) Foundation scholarships. Josué E. Ortíz Acevedo, Gustavo J. Albelo Rivera, and Bryan A. González Nieves were the other three recipients of the New Fortress Energy Foundation scholarships, all chosen based on their engineering major, GPA of at least 3.0, participation in community and leadership activities, and financial need.
“I have always been interested in helping the environment, and with this career I believe I can do so, by working on obtaining cleaner and affordable energy,” says Angélica, who is already looking forward to studying for her master’s degree in electrical engineering in power systems and renewable energy. “Also, I would like to help Puerto Rico to improve its electricity generation system. With this scholarship, I can now focus completely on my studies, instead of thinking, ‘How I will be able to afford this course, laboratory, books…?’ I am truly grateful.”
We’re honored to be able to help these students pursue the academic studies that will help them reach their dreams, whether they’ve known their direction for years, or they’ve more recently begun to figure it out.
“At the beginning, I had no idea of the right path for me as a professional, but I have always been passionate about finding answers, discovering, and creating new ideas,” says scholarship recipient Josué, a mechanical engineering major at PUPR. “At the same time, I have always been fascinated by aircraft. In engineering, I found a way to put all my passions together. My dream is to work in a company that helps the development of a better future. This scholarship offered me the opportunity to have a better college life by relieving some personal challenges and allowing myself to be 200 percent focused on accomplishing my goals.”
“We are very grateful to New Fortress Energy for supporting the engineering students of our university with the necessary help to complete their engineering studies,” said Ernesto Vázquez Barquet, president of the Polytechnic University. “This is a great example of what private companies can bring to the benefit of the professionals of the future that we need so much for the development of our island.”
As we invest in the economic future of places such as Puerto Rico, we are committed to preparing the next generation of engineers and innovators to make their own contributions. That’s why, in addition to the 56 university scholarships we’ve presented to students in Puerto Rico and Jamaica, we’ve also partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico to host a back-to-school fair for more than 350 students, piloted a twice-weekly, after school robotics and technology lab in Puerto Rico, and provided financial aid to help more than 1,700 children in both places acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors they need to succeed.
Congratulations to the bright and talented young scholars who received these most recent scholarships. As we work to provide access to cleaner, more affordable energy, we’re proud to partner with PUPR, our LNG community and other organizations to support students’ education and their drive to find their own ways to create positive energy and a brighter world.
