What’s next for our 2020 emPOWER Puerto Rico scholarship recipients?
OUR FOUNDATION
The future looks bright for these brilliant students
Now that the 2020-21 academic year is complete, we’re excited to check in with some of the engineering students at the Polytechnic University in Puerto Rico (PUPR) who earned our second annual New Fortress Energy emPOWER Puerto Rico scholarships.
A vital part of our commitment to providing access to cleaner, more affordable energy involves ensuring the communities where we’re operating have the resources they need to thrive. One of our favorite and most rewarding ways to do that is by investing in the next generation of leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs, including our scholarship recipients.
We’re proud of what these students have already accomplished, and we’re grateful to play a small role in their quest to use their abundantly positive energy to build a brighter future, not only for themselves, but also for their neighbors, their island, and our LNG community. Read on to learn more about these students’ inspiring stories.
Gabriel J. Chéverez Rodríguez
Gabriel is intrigued by the impact that engineering has on society. He’s excited that the scholarship will help him complete his graduate studies and maintain his professional certification so he can make his own contributions to develop and improve Puerto Rico’s electrical systems. “Studying engineering has been one of the best decisions of my life,” he says. “Financial aid opportunities such as the New Fortress Energy emPOWER scholarship help students continue to make our dreams come true.”
Jailene J. Alvarado Acevedo
Thanks to the opportunities the scholarship is affording her, Jailene will be earning her engineering license and continuing her graduate studies, potentially with an industrial engineering minor and the goal of becoming certified in Lean Six Sigma. “It’s been a rewarding experience to remove financial barriers and concerns,” she says, “thus helping with gaining more knowledge and exposure within the Polytechnic University.”
Jan M. Ocasio Sánchez
Jan is passionate about using his graduate studies in bioengineering for the greater good, and grateful that his emPOWER scholarship is removing financial barriers. “Bioengineering is a broad field where I can use everything I learned in mechanical engineering to help others in the medical field,” he says. “It is important for me to finish my education and have the opportunity to continue.”
Alberto E. Rivera Arroyo
Alberto has dealt with many struggles over the past months, including the loss of his job due to COVID-19 and, even more painful, the passing of his beloved mother. His scholarship has helped him keep going. “My mother’s death was a big blow to my personal, academic, and professional life,” he says. “My plans after graduation are to continue to develop myself, revalidate as an electrical engineer, and, as my mother used to say, be an exemplary citizen who fights for his country.”
Julimar Colón Montañez
As a young adult striving for independence, Julimar appreciates the financial freedom her emPOWER scholarship has given her to pay for her studies and pursue additional goals such as earning her master’s degree in business administration and making a positive difference in the world. “It is one of my long-term goals to go to underdeveloped communities to carry out projects that help them have a better quality of life,” she says.
Elvin Anthony Flores Arroyo
Thanks to his emPOWER scholarship, Elvin is going places – literally. It’s helping pay for his first semester of graduate studies in nuclear engineering in Virginia, where he has a mechanical engineering job. His long-term goal is to help the U.S. Navy by providing civil support in designing and manufacturing aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. “I want to contribute in the same way they do, protecting and serving the nation,” he explains. “As Albert Schweitzer said, ‘There is no greater religion than service to others. Working for the common good is the best creed.’”
Ana R. Rodríguez López
After facing significant financial hurdles, Ana is dedicated to paying forward the promising opportunities her emPOWER scholarship has provided, including paying for regular courses and pursuing certifications such as Lean Six Sigma. “It can be frustrating to want to expand my knowledge, want more books, more courses, more certifications, but having finances be a limiting factor. I am grateful that those opportunities still exist, that we are not alone in our professional development,” she says. “Once we are professionals in our respective fields, we should always look back to where we started and help our younger generation of students.”
