CITGO Lemont Refinery And JJC Team Up For Scholarship Fund

LEMONT, IL -The CITGO Lemont Refinery and Joliet Junior College have announced a new scholarship for STEM students through the establishment of a $250,000 endowment with the JJC Foundation.

"During 2016 we began discussions with Will County Executive Larry Walsh, Sr. on how CITGO could make a positive impact in Will County by investing in the next generation of leaders in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math,” said Jim Cristman, vice president and general manager of the CITGO Lemont Refinery, in a release from CITGO. “We concluded that a scholarship endowment would serve as the best conduit for workforce development and job opportunities for the residents of Will County.”

The CITGO Scholarship will be awarded annually to a JJC student(s) in one of the following majors: Process Control Instrumentation, Operations Engineering Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Electrical/Electronic Automated Systems, Process Operations Technology or the dual credit high school program ― Advanced Integrated Manufacturing.

For 2017, two recipients have already been chosen: Matthew Lane and Kayla Storme. Lane is currently pursuing two Associates degrees — one in Industrial Maintenance Technology and the other in Electrical/Electronics Automated Systems. Storme is majoring in Operations Engineering with the end goal of a career in chemical engineering. The students received their $5,000 scholarship during a presentation at the college on Wednesday, February 15.

"CITGO has been an excellent community partner for many years. Through this generous scholarship, students will be able to further their education in various areas of technology. I congratulate Kayla and Matthew as the first recipients, and wish them much luck in their future studies and careers," said Walsh.

This endowment is part of the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline program, which partners with educational organizations near the company's operational areas to increase access to educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.

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