The Aspen Institute and the Siemens Foundation have named six current students and alumni of Miami Dade College (MDC) as 2018 Siemens Technical Scholars.
The prestigious Siemens Technical Scholars awards recognize an exceptional group of diverse students from across the country who demonstrate the rewarding careers and opportunities that result from completing excellent STEM programs. This cycle’s 44 Scholars will go on to serve as ambassadors for their programs and their respective fields.
The Siemens Technical Scholars are chosen by Aspen in partnership with the community colleges that win the Siemens-Aspen Community College STEM Award. The 43 programs honored since the awards launched in 2015 do an exceptional job launching students directly into technical careers with wages that enable them to support a family. These colleges partner with employers to offer students in-demand credentials and teach the necessary skills with rigor.
“In the digital economy, going to college and the American dream are more tightly linked than ever before,” said Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA. “And in this unique moment, one of the smartest choices someone can make is to pursue technical education through a community college.”
The acclaimed Miami Animation and Gaming International Complex (MAGIC) at MDC was awarded $25,000 to support scholarships for the following Siemens Technical Scholars: Gabriela Pifano, Victoria Garcia, Felix Jarquin, Andres Gonzalez, Amy Garcia Fernandez and Ruben Ruiz Velasco.
The MAGIC program was honored for preparing students for careers in the competitive animation and gaming industry. Established in 2015 to meet rapidly growing workforce demand, program enrollment has expended to more than 500 students — many of whom are from racial, ethnic, and low-income groups underrepresented in the animation and gaming industry. This intensive, hands-on program is a talent pipeline for the regional media industry — which includes companies such as Universal and Nickelodeon — MAGIC helps students achieve their dreams.
In the coming years, demand for STEM skills will continue to grow. Some estimates show as many as 26 million jobs in the United States that require significant STEM knowledge, representing nearly 20 percent of all U.S. jobs. Employers are having trouble finding qualified people to fill these spots.
Pursing an in-demand, technical STEM career like those the Siemens Technical Scholars have selected — in healthcare, energy, information technology, and advanced manufacturing—is an impactful way for Americans to achieve economic mobility. More than half of STEM jobs across the United States require only an associate degree and pay, on average, more than $50,000 a year.
“Too often, we fail to connect the incredible talent in communities with the rewarding careers available right now,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute. “The exceptional and diverse 2019 class of Siemens Technical Scholars embody those connections. Their hard work in excellent community college programs has not just launched them on strong careers but serves as a model for how America can develop the talent it needs to continue to grow economically.”
