NSTC Awards Three STEM Scholarships to Local Students

The North Shore Technology Council (NSTC), the volunteer-led, nonprofit technology trade association for northeastern Massachusetts today announced the recipients of its second annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) college scholarship program. The students were honored during the NSTC’s networking event, held November 12 at the Salem Five Community Room in downtown Salem, MA.

The NSTC awarded $1,000 scholarships to Edisson Naranjo-Mejia of Lowell, MA, an Army Reservist and biology major at Salem State University; Maggie Patrikas of Danvers, MA, a biotechnology major at Endicott College; and Matthew Wood, of Burlington, MA, a veteran and now an engineering major at North Shore Community College. Each student will also receive a matching scholarship from his/her school and the scholarship may be renewed each year if the recipient continues with studies in the STEM fields and remains in good academic standing.

Tom Kinneman, President of the NSTC, said, “We are proud to honor these three exceptional and dedicated students, who display a passion for high tech fields and great promise in STEM disciplines. As part of our commitment to encourage growth and success among the technology sector north of Boston, the NSTC is pleased to collaborate with local educational institutions and support these students who will no doubt make valuable contributions to our workforce down the road.”

Naranjo-Mejia, a graduate of Lowell High School, said he chose biology as a major because he wanted to learn about things he can “visibly see in action.” He plans to finish all requirements needed to enter a Physician Assistant program and pursue his dream job – where he can work in a hospital and be a key player in the medical field. Naranjo-Mejia said he has always wanted to be involved in a STEM field, and he particularly values how STEM studies bring him, “A different point of view on life and how things come about.” He also appreciates the support and encouragement his family has given him throughout her education. “My family has motivated me every step of the way,” he said.

Originally a nursing student, Patrikas said she has always had a passion for biology but discovered she was best suited for a career in biotechnology when she took a clinical microbiology course at Endicott. After completing undergraduate studies, she hopes to go on to earn a master’s degree then work as a researcher for a local biotechnology company. A graduate of Austin Preparatory School in Reading, MA, Patrikas credits internships with helping her to determine what she loves to do. “It is an honor to be chosen,” she said. “I hope to contribute to New England’s biotechnology industry.”

Wood plans to earn his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering – and possibly a master’s degree – after completing his community college transfer program. Eventually he hopes to work, “As part of a team that makes a car, plane, boat or other vehicle faster, quieter, and more efficient.” A graduate of Bartlett High School in Memphis, TN, Wood served as a submariner in the U.S. Navy for several years before transitioning to college. He gained an interest in engineering while deployed on submarines when as part of his job he learned how to use and perform maintenance on on-board equipment. “It was interesting to learn about how the equipment worked, and I also thought about how some of it could be easier to use and perform maintenance on,” he said.

The STEM scholarship program is a key component of the NSTC’s three-year STEM initiative to support economic development and local job growth by addressing the struggle many companies currently face to fill positions in high-tech fields. If the challenge to fill positions keeps up, the National Commission on Mathematics and Science reports that by 2018, the U.S. may be short as many as three million high-skilled workers. In the North Shore region alone, 16 out of the 20 fastest growing companies are in STEM-related fields.

About the North Shore Technology Council

The North Shore Technology Council (NSTC) is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization with a mission to build a strong ecosystem for the success of technology businesses North of Boston by facilitating collaboration, networking, professional growth and economic development in a collegial fashion. The NSTC welcomes the participation of technology businesses, senior executives and employees of technology businesses, entrepreneurs, companies that support technology businesses, academic and governmental units and non-profits. The council is on the Web at www.nstc.org. Its office is at the Cummings Center, in Beverly, Massachusetts.