Tenaris has awarded a total of $186,000 in scholarships yesterday, recognizing a dedicated group of students in Matagorda County for their academic achievements.
At a reception ceremony held inside the administrative offices of its seamless pipe mill in Bay City, Texas, Tenaris presented 15 winners and finalists scholarships to advance their studies.
Matagorda County Judge Nate McDonald acknowledged Tenaris’s commitment to build its plant, to create jobs and to underwrite education. “Being a good student, being a good citizen, being willing to follow a trail that leads you to something like what we’re gathered here tonight for. This is truly outstanding.”
Daniel Castanon from Palacios High School, currently ranked No. 1 in his senior class and whose SAT score of 1490 places him in the 99th percentile, nationally, was presented with the top honor, the Student of the Year scholarship in the amount of $60,000.
“It means the world to me; something like this makes a huge impact on my future plans,” said Castanon. “For me, it’s a confidence booster knowing that I can do it, and it pushes me to succeed that much more.”
Castanon, who has 12 siblings, is a member of the National Honor Society and Workforce Industry Training (WIT) club, and on the school’s soccer team, heads to Texas A&M University in the fall where he plans to study chemical engineering. Four Student of the Year finalists - two from Bay City High School and two from Palacios High School - were each awarded $1,000 to apply toward their studies.
Tenaris also presented six Merit Awards, $20,000 each, to three students from Palacios High School, two from Bay City High School and one from Tidehaven. Four finalists received $500 each.
“This is a phenonmenal group of students whose performance speaks volumes of their conviction to learn, grow and contribute, both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Luca Zanotti, Tenaris President, USA. “As a company, we place a tremendous amount of value on education, it inspires innovation, and opens minds and opportunities.”
Tenaris has invested more than $2.5 million on community-related initiatives in Matagorda County since 2013 of which $2.2 million has been invested in education.
This is the first time Tenaris combines both its Student of the Year and Merit Award scholarship announcements, and is also the first time the company expanded its Merit Award scholarships to include all Matagorda County high schools - Bay City, Palacios, Tidehaven and Van Vleck.
Earlier yesterday, Tenaris presented a $20,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Bay City and Matagorda County to support the implementation and start up of a dual-focused program, Bringing Up Grade (BUG) program promoting academics and social emotional learnings.
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