At the end of 2020, OCI established our very first scholarship fund through the Renton Regional Community Foundation for upcoming professionals in our industry.
The Osborn Consulting Scholarship was founded to support ambitious BIPOC students with demonstrated financial need who were or will be pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree at accredited programs in landscape architecture or civil engineering. We focused on identifying students with a demonstrated commitment to developing public infrastructure and/or public spaces in the state of Washington.
After reviewing many qualified and outstanding applicants, we are excited to share that two deserving students were selected to receive our scholarship in 2021.
One of our winners, Kayla Hernandez, is currently pursuing a Civil Engineering degree at Gonzaga University in Spokane. She is the third of four siblings, whose parents immigrated from the Philippines to seek better opportunity for their family.
In her application, Kayla wrote “Growing up, I have displayed many traits that set me apart from my peers, including my determination to succeed, my compassion for others, and desire to grow and improve every day… Since I was a child, I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps as an engineer and was always drawn towards activities that allowed me to use creativity in a more practical way. Now that I have learned more about how the world operates around me, I wish to use my knowledge and resources to create opportunity for others through infrastructure.”
Kayla plans to strive towards her EIT certification, PE license, and hopes to inspire underrepresented groups through infrastructure with the award money.
Cesar Bedolla-Hurtado, who is attending Washington State University (WSU), is our second scholarship recipient. He will be the first in his family to graduate with a BS in Civil Engineering and the first of twenty-nine grandchildren to become an engineer!
Cesar shared in his application, “I want to be a part of building up and revitalizing a city’s skyline and ground features. Whether it be roadways, bridges, tunnels, or buildings that soar up into the sky, I want to be at the center of the project, from the conception to the design, to the actual construction. The opportunity to participate in a project that transforms from two-dimensional drawings into a fully functioning part of a city astounds me, turning a vision into reality… I can only imagine driving through a city and being able to measure my progress through changing infrastructure. Infrastructure is the heartbeat of a city, and I want to continue revitalizing it, being at the forefront of civil engineering and construction innovation.”
After graduation from the WSU Honor’s College, Cesar will be continuing his education for a M.S. in Structural engineering, with hopes to work for a company that is focused on design-build.
The sky is the limit for these inspiring students, and we cannot wait to see all that they accomplish in their studies, careers, and beyond. OCI looks forward to offering more scholarships in the future to continue our support for upcoming professionals. Check back on our website and social media in the coming months for more information about our upcoming scholarships.
