Amazon Web Services recently announced it is accepting applications for the 2022 AWS InCommunities Scholarship Program. High school seniors in Umatilla and Morrow counties, including Nixyaawii Community School, are eligible to apply.

A total of $100,000 in scholarships is available to students enrolling in courses such as electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, biochemistry, software engineering, physics and more.

The deadline to apply is March 29. For the application and additional information, visit https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/awsincommunities.

The scholarship program offers grants to students in designated districts of Oregon, California, Ohio and Virginia who plan to pursue a STEM-related subject at a higher education institution. The AWS InCommunities Program exists to make a positive impact through community-based programs, specifically in the regions where AWS builds and operates its global infrastructure.

America Pacheco, a 2021 Riverside High School graduate, is using an AWS scholarship to attend Oregon State University. She is studying computer science with an emphasis on cybersecurity. In an AWS press release, Pacheco said she only recently discovered her passion for technology.

“Growing up, I didn’t see many women in tech careers,” she said. “I never thought of myself doing anything STEM-related until I got to high school.”

Although she’s studying across the state in Corvallis, Pacheco said she wants to return to Eastern Oregon and give back to her community in the future.

For more information about AWS, visit www.aboutamazon.com.