Dallas County Community College District showcases grant at October conference
THE W.W. CARUTH, JR. FOUNDATION at Communities Foundation of Texas, which awarded a three-year, $1.8 million grant to the DCCCD STEM Institute in 2013, recently received the 2015 Benefactor Award by the Council for Resource Development during its annual conference in Washington, D.C. The annual award recognizes individuals, foundations and businesses for their outstanding contributions to community colleges.
Caruth’s ongoing support for DCCCD’s STEM efforts has served to spotlight the role of community colleges as major players in expanding the workforce in North Texas and nationwide. Over 90 percent of scholars in the STEM Institute have continued in STEM fields — well above the national average of 35 percent.
Fatima Niazy started with the STEM Institute in the fall of 2014, and is now completing her third semester at Richland College pursuing her interests of geology, environmental science and environmental engineering. She is an excellent student with a GPA above 3.9, all while continuing to work and help care for family. Next spring, she will begin at Tufts University near Boston with a full-tuition scholarship.