Yakob Getu (left) was named an Amazon Future Engineer and awarded a $40,000 scholarship plus an internship opportunity with Amazon.

 

April 18, 2023  |  EFCTS

Yakob Getu was surprised by his instructor and classmates as he was celebrated after earning a life-changing scholarship.Yakob Getu, a senior in the Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools Programming & Software Design program, has been named an Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipient and will receive $40,000 over four years to pursue a degree in computer science or engineering at a college of his choice. He is one of 400 students across the country to receive the award along with a paid internship offer at Amazon after his freshman year of college to gain hands-on, practical work experience with mentorship from Amazon leaders. 

Recipients were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, participation in school and community activities, work experience, future goals, and financial need. Amazon partnered with Scholarship America to review the applications and select 400 scholars.

Yakob, who came to Eastland-Fairfield from Whitehall Yearling High School, was notified of this honor by his instructor during a surprise celebratory announcement. His classmates, Eastland Career Center, and district staff members joined together to celebrate as Yakob opened the Amazon package containing the scholarship and internship offer, a graduation cap cover and sash, and other assorted Amazon items. 

“To be honest, it does not feel real,” said Yakob. “Even today, I am having trouble believing it.  But, with the financial head start, I will be better able to focus on my studies and extracurricular activities to affect my growth personally and professionally.  All of this will be to help me and my family in the future.”

 

 

His Programming & Software Development instructor, Mr. Derek Roeth, shared his excitement for the opportunities that will be made available to Yakob by being selected as an Amazon Future Engineer.. 

“An internship at Amazon is something coveted by many in the IT community and he will have that as a guarantee one year from now,” said Mr. Roeth. “That learning experience will be invaluable to him and his future path in IT.  Plus, the money will help him fund his education and alleviate a major stressor for countless college students, allowing him the opportunity for more growth in IT knowledge.”

“Seeing one of our students recognized with an award of this distinction brings great pride to our entire Eastland Career Center community,” said Eastland Career Center principal, Joey Gates. “Yakob is a very deserving young man with a very bright future that has immeasurable potential.”

Yakob has chosen to attend The Ohio State University this Fall to study computer science and engineering. He is already excited to begin his new journey, especially knowing that a good portion of the cost is now being paid for through this scholarship.

“I look forward to learning from experienced professors and being a part of a community of like-minded and motivated individuals who share my passion for technology,” Yakob said. “I believe this program will help me with the necessary skills I will need in my career.”

As a junior, Yakob placed sixth overall in the C# (C-sharp) programming competition at the 2022 Business Professionals of America (BPA) state competition. This year, Yakob qualified for the BPA state competition in two different events, placing fourth in Java Programming and third in Fundamentals of Web Design. He has also taken part in multiple job shadowing opportunities and completed summer work in the IT field, which he says has exposed him to several programming languages and additional technologies, as well as allowed him to hone in on problem-solving skills that will help him in his future.

The senior section of Programming & Software Development came out to celebrate with Yakob after his big surprise announcement.

 

Computer science is the fastest-growing profession within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projected the market for computer science occupations will grow 15% between 2021 and 2031, yet only 11% of STEM graduates earn a computer science degree, and only a small percentage of those come from underserved and historically underrepresented communities. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $97,430 in May 2021, which is more than twice the median annual wage for all occupations.

Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon’s global philanthropic computer science education initiative, aims to increase student access to computer science education. The program funds high-quality computer science curriculum and educator professional learning to help school districts implement sustainable K–12 computer science initiatives. As part of this effort, Amazon funds the development of customized curriculum that accounts for the unique cultural perspectives, interests, and experiences of Black, Latino, and Native American (BLNA) students. In addition to its Scholarship program, Amazon Future Engineer offers virtual class chats, career tours, and project-based learning modules that bring role models to classrooms to help students explore computer science through real-world experiences. 

Amazon launched the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship program in 2019, awarding hundreds of students annually with $40,000 over four years to pursue an undergraduate degree in computer science and paid internship offers at Amazon. This year, Amazon committed a total of $16 million in paid tuition. Amazon Future Engineer has awarded $38 million in scholarships to 950 students from underserved and historically underrepresented communities across the U.S. since the program’s inception. 

About Eastland-Fairfield Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools is the seventh-largest career and technical education district, geographically, in the State of Ohio. We serve more than 5,000 students in 16 school districts throughout Franklin, Fairfield and Pickaway counties. Eastland-Fairfield provides more than 40 programs to over 1,400 high school and adult students. The district has two main campuses — Eastland Career Center in Groveport and Fairfield Career Center in Carroll, with satellite locations at four of our associate high schools: Gahanna Lincoln, Groveport Madison, New Albany, and Pickerington North. 

Founded in 1969. Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools’ mission is to engage, enrich, and equip students every day in every experience. We prepare students to pursue their life’s next E: Employment, Enlistment, Entrepreneurship, and/or additional Education. Visit us online at www.eastlandfairfield.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn for regular updates, fun content and information.

About Amazon Future Engineer Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood-to-career computer science education program intended to inspire and educate millions of students from historically underrepresented communities globally, including millions of students in the U.S. each year. Students explore computer science through school curriculum and project-based learning, using code to make music, program robots, and solve problems. Additionally, each year Amazon Future Engineer awards hundreds of students with four-year, $40,000 scholarships and paid industry internships, as well as names 10 Teacher of the Year winners, awarding $30,000 prize packages for going above and beyond to inspire students in computer science and to promote diversity and inclusion in the field. The program is currently available in Canada, France, Germany, India, the UK and the U.S. For more information, visit amazonfutureengineer.com.