LOS ANGELES (January 11, 2023) – For the second consecutive year, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) partnered with local non-profit organization, Fulfillment Fund, to sponsor ten $1,000 scholarships helping to make college graduation a reality for first-generation and lower-income students. The scholarships provide financial assistance to college students in paying for tuition, school supplies or room and board, to help lessen the cost of attending college, which can be a barrier to getting a college degree.
“We are proud to partner with Fulfillment Fund, which is actively supporting our next generation of students,” said Martin L. Adams, LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer. “At LADWP, we believe education opens up doors to many opportunities, and we’re pleased to help make higher education more accessible to students and create paths to successful careers. We hope through the many educational opportunities LADWP has to offer, we can help motivate and propel students to reach their educational goals.”
Since 1977, Fulfillment Fund has been a trusted partner to students from diverse backgrounds pursuing college and careers, and to companies seeking to connect with and support our students. Free for students to attend, the Career Expo is Fulfillment Fund’s annual career readiness event designed to support college students on their path from educational achievement to professional success. On the agenda were a series of workshops and panels of engaging professionals discussing a wide range of career building opportunities. In its second year, Blanca Herrera represented LADWP and spoke on Fulfillment Fund’s Careers in STEM panel discussion. Herrera is a Civil Engineering Associate with LADWP and also Vice President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), LADWP Chapter.
“As Fulfillment Fund deepens our programs for students closing in on college graduation and preparing for their careers, it’s vital that we partner with the business community to connect with professionals from a variety of industries and backgrounds so that our students have a much wider sense of the career opportunities that may be possible for them,” said Joanne Reyes, Fulfillment Fund’s Chief Executive Officer. “It’s equally important that we engage professionals who are diverse and relatable to the experiences of our students so that they can also see themselves in these career paths. We’re proud to partner with LADWP to create opportunities for students to learn from their team, and grateful for the scholarship support for our college students.”
For more than four decades, LADWP has remained dedicated to educational outreach through a variety of education programs and offerings. From school presentations and interactive online games to videos and printable lessons, LADWP has supported students and teachers across Los Angeles. As distanced learning became the new norm at the height of the pandemic, LADWP worked closely with its non-profit partners to transform in-school presentations to virtual formats.
“LADWP realizes the importance of being able to provide resources to communities that need them most, and we have the ability to drive positive outcomes through meaningful partnerships like this one, but it’s also important to look at this from an equitable lens,” said Robert Meteau Jr., Assistant General Manager and Deputy Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. “As LADWP cultivates a more inclusive organization, we’ve been able to further align valuable resources toward diversity in education and workforce development and continue fostering change now and into the future.”
Last year, Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved a five-year agreement with Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) to help achieve diversity in the engineering workforce.
For more information about LADWP’s educational outreach programs, visit www.ladwp.com/education.
###
