Aya Mistica and David Flores of the University of Wyoming have received $1,000 each as a scholarship award from Union Wireless. The students were honored earlier this year at the Tau Beta Pi Awards Banquet.
Union Wireless is a telephone company and landline provider that has towers in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Montana. Their scholarship was founded nine years ago to support students who are interested in pursuing an education in a technical field.
“I was very happy and excited in winning the award. I was deeply grateful to Union Wireless for this motivation,” computer engineering junior, Mistica said.
Mistica, originally from the Philippines, is also pursuing a minor in computer science. She is a member of the Asian American Pacific Islander Student Association, as well as the Multicultural Association of Student Scientists.
Flores is a non-traditional student who worked for seventeen years in the oil and gas industry before returning back to school. He is focusing on finishing his college education and improving his skills.
“I am very grateful to Union Wireless and their recognition of my early achievements at the University of Wyoming. It is great to know that they are dedicated to helping students attending the state university,” Flores said.
Financial aid, as such, has helped many students pursue their degree and build up their careers.
“College tuition itself is very expensive and on top of that we pay rent, food and utilities, so financial support is very important in order for us to work hard and get our school done,” Mistica said.
According to the Federal Reserve of the U.S. Government, the total student debt in the states is $1.45 trillion. Financial inability is one of the reasons that so many students are forced to drop out of college. This not only hurdles their chance in sculpting their careers, but also deprives the labor force of skilled manpower.
According to the College Board, the average in-state tuition in the US is approximately $20,000 and out-of-state tuition is approximately $33,000. Many universities, public and private, try to provide some form of financial support to motivate students to pursue their studies. But with the average student income being $14,400, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, college pupils have a hard time supporting their education.
While many students are supported by parents, with the average household income being approximately $77,000, according to the US Bureau of Statistics, it has been observed that fewer students wish to depend on them for funding.
According to a survey done by the University of California, conducted in 2014, more students are rejecting their first choice of college and instead opting for an institution that offers them the most financial aid.
Any type of economic assistance that a university student can receive towards funding their education helps to motivate them toward achieving their academic goals.
Union Wireless has also provided scholarships to Daniel Mortensen and Robert McKay, who are both studying electrical engineering at the Utah State University.
According to the press release Mortensen said, “I feel very privileged to be a recipient of a 2017 Union Wireless Scholarship. During my academic career, I am very appreciative of those who care for the upcoming generation of engineers and innovators.”
