Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) today received funding from Amazon Web Services (AWS) to be used to fund scholarships for 13 students in the Data Center Technician program to support students in the 2018-19 program cohort.
“We are beyond appreciative of this generous donation to support our students,” said BMCC President Cam Preus. “AWS has been a strong partner in the Data Center Tech program, and this donation further demonstrates their commitment to its success.”
Thirteen of the 20 students in the program’s current cohort applied for scholarship funds.
“As a teacher, I know that students sometimes face difficult choices when trying to fund their college education: working the graveyard shift and then trying to stay awake in class, hoping their old car will keep running just a few months longer, sometimes even having to choose between buying groceries and buying textbooks,” said Peter Hernberg, BMCC’s Data Center Technician program instructor. “Amazon Web Services’ support will help relieve some of these burdens and help our hard-working students complete their education and launch their careers.”
AWS has previously hired graduates of BMCC’s three-year-old Data Center Technician program, a 9-month certificate program based at BMCC’s Workforce Training Center in Boardman.
“I’ve seen our students – some of whom have no technology background – work hard, learn, graduate, and get jobs as data center technicians,” Hernberg said. “When I speak with our alumni, they tell me they appreciate having a good-paying job that challenges them every day and where they can see future opportunities for advancement.”
