Future engineer gets a boost from Amazon scholarship initiative

Wendy Lopez was a youngster when her mother was diagnosed with lupus. At first, her doctors thought she might have cancer, and Wendy recalls it being a stressful and confusing time for the family because of the financial burden of medical care.

Today, Lopez is a senior at Southgate High School. Motivated by that health scare with her mom and the impact on her family, Lopez dreams of a future career in artificial intelligence engineering. She hopes to one day use technology to bring health care closer to home for families who struggle financially.

“I want to prevent that from happening to other families,” Lopez explains.

Thanks to the Amazon Future Engineer Initiative, Lopez is one step closer to realizing her dream.

Building life-changing skills

Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood-to-career STEM education initiative designed to inspire and educate students from underrepresented and historically underserved communities to build life-changing skills that leverage computer science and coding to bring their dreams to life.

Each year, about 400 high school seniors nationwide are selected to receive up to $40,000 (up to $10,000 a year) in scholarships to pursue an education in computer science, engineering or related STEM degrees at the college or university of their choice. In addition, students are offered a paid internship with Amazon following their freshman year in college to gain valuable, hands-on experience.

Lopez was among 63 seniors from Los Angeles Unified School District who were recently surprised with the news of their selection at a private event held at Amazon Studios in Culver City.

It was really surprising because it wasn’t something I expected,” Lopez says. She adds that many of the scholarship recipients and Amazon leaders who were present that day are from backgrounds similar to hers.

“The Latino culture in general isn’t brought up in the tech field or engineering,” Lopez says. “So just seeing that there are other people like me who might have been considered minorities at one point are working in the field I want to work in is super inspiring.”

Well-rounded student

Lopez learned about the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship from a friend who thought she’d be a good fit. What caught her attention, she says, was the scholarship money, “which was something I felt could help me a lot. And seeing the internship opportunity was very eye-catching to me because it’s an opportunity to work in the field.”

Criteria for scholarship selection are based on academics, leadership, financial need and participation in school and community activities. At Southgate High, Lopez is involved in the Health and Science Medicine Club and Key Club, both of which are community service-oriented.

“Community service is a big part of what I want to do right now and continue doing in college,” Lopez says.

A recommendation from Raylene Paris, program manager at America on Tech, Inc. further bolstered Lopez’s application.

“I nominated Wendy because she is an amazing student in our Tech Flex Leaders program,” says Paris, whose company’s mission is to prepare the next generation of technology leaders from underestimated communities. “Wendy is an active participant during our class sessions, always tries her best, and works collaboratively with her team members. I felt honored that Wendy reached out to me for a recommendation and that she trusted me to speak on her behalf.”

Future plans

Lopez has been accepted at both the University of Southern California and Wellesley College in Massachusetts and will make her decision after campus visits this month.

After her undergraduate studies, she plans to work toward an advanced degree while also pursuing internships and research opportunities.

Today, however, she is focused on passing her AP exams and her upcoming high school graduation.

She notes that the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship has “lifted a weight from her shoulders” and will open doors for her in her education and future career.

She’s also grateful for the opportunity to inspire others through her story.

Says Lopez: “I’m excited that I can represent both women and Latinos in engineering and show that we’re capable of the same things, too.”

Applications for the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship will reopen in fall of 2024. Learn what makes this more than just a scholarship by visiting amazonfutureengineer.com.