Fourteen CPS Students Each Receive $40,000 Scholarship and Internship Offer from Amazon to Pursue Undergraduate Degree in Computer Science

CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is proud to celebrate 14 Class of 2022 seniors who have each earned Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships of $40,000 over four years. The recipients include four Jones College Prep students who received the good news Wednesday during a surprise presentation while taking a senior class photo at Chicago’s iconic Buckingham Fountain on Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive.\

“We’re so proud of these CPS seniors and know they stand ready to compete and collaborate in college and beyond,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “This is an amazing opportunity for our students and we are so grateful to Amazon as well as all their CPS teachers, coaches, and family members and friends who have supported their success.”

The 14 students are among 250 new Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipients to receive a $40,000 scholarship to study computer science starting this fall and a paid internship opportunity at Amazon. Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood-to-career initiative designed to inspire and educate millions of students each year from underrepresented and historically underserved communities to build life-changing skills that leverage computer science and coding to bring their dreams to life. 

“It’s critical that we increase opportunities for all students to pursue computer science and STEM education. Young people are the engineers of the future, with the possibility to build a better world for themselves and for us all,” said Victor Reinoso, Global Director of Amazon’s philanthropic education initiatives. “Chicago Public Schools’ commitment to help bridge the divide between interested students and computer science courses is evidenced by the accomplishments of the district’s 14 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipients and their teachers. We look forward to seeing all they will achieve.”

Most CPS students were informed of their scholarship by a surprise Amazon delivery to their home, but on Wednesday the four seniors at Jones - Benjamin Cole, Lijuan Qiao, Mahrhoztal Rosier, and Julie Thai - were all told they are among the recipients while posing for their Jones’ senior class portrait.

In addition to the scholarship, students will all be provided a paid internship offer at Amazon after their freshman year of college to gain hands-on, practical work experience with mentorship from Amazon leaders. The Amazon Future Engineer program has awarded $22 million in scholarships to 550 students from underserved and historically underrepresented communities across the U.S. since 2019.

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 the 250 scholars.\

The CPS Amazon Future Engineers scholarship recipients includes a Northside College Prep senior who asked not to be identified as well as the following 13 students:

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Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon’s global philanthropic computer science education program, aims to bridge the divide between interested students and computer science courses and opportunities. The childhood-to-career education program helps students explore computer science through school curriculum and project-based learning, using code to make music, program robots, and solve problems, and offers teachers professional development opportunities. Amazon launched the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship program in 2019, awarding 100 students annually with $40,000 scholarships over four years, to pursue an undergraduate degree in computer science and paid internships at Amazon.

Amazon partners with CPS on Amazon Future Engineer and other philanthropic initiatives through Children First Fund: The Chicago Public Schools Foundation.