GCI to award $100,000 in scholarships to Alaska students

To support Alaska students who have decided to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Education and Math (STEM), GCI has committed $100,000 to its statewide scholarship program. Fifty Alaska students will each receive a $2,000 scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year through the program, which can be used for tuition and books.

Over the past 20 years, GCI has awarded over $6 million in scholarships to hundreds of Alaska students attending accredited colleges and vocational/trade schools across the nation.

“Encouraging the development and education of STEM-focused students is an incredibly important component of keeping Alaska’s workforce well-equipped for the future,” said Joe Wahl, GCI’s Chief Human Resources Officer. “Through the GCI scholarship program, we hope more Alaskan students can have access to more educational opportunities in order to better-position themselves as they start their careers.”

Applicants for the GCI Scholarship must be a graduating senior of an Alaska high school and be seeking a degree or certification in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math, or business/innovation with the intention of returning to Alaska to start their career. Preference will be given to applicants who participate in STEM-based extracurricular activities, including E-Sports through the Alaska School Activities Association.

The application period opens Feb. 4, 2020. Applications must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. AKST on March 31, 2020.

GCI is one of Alaska’s leaders in corporate philanthropy, donating approximately $2 million each year in cash, products and connectivity to organizations across the state. GCI is committed to giving back to the communities it serves and provides employees with 16 hours of paid leave to volunteer with local organizations. In 2019, nearly 550 GCI employees volunteered more than 5,300 hours.

For more information about the GCI Scholarship Program, visit https://alaskacf.org/blog/scholarships/the-gci-scholarship/.