At the Santa Clara City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 14, Chief Electric Utility Officer Manuel Pineda awarded three outstanding students each with a $5,000 scholarship to further their studies toward a career in the energy industry. For the past 15 years, Silicon Valley Power has offered scholarships for students attending college or technical school in pursuit of a career in the energy industry. To date, $237,000 in scholarships have been granted and 51 deserving students in the Santa Clara community have benefited from this program.

Ryota Inagaki, a Santa Clara High School graduate, is studying Engineering Mathematics and Statistics at the University of California, Berkeley.  His studies are focused on the physics and math behind electrical engineering and he is fascinated with research on mathematical modeling. In his future career, he plans to apply these skills to the power industry.

Vincent Kloes recently graduated from Wilcox High School and will be studying Earth Science at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville this fall.  Vincent says he plans to “conduct research on terrestrial energy sources that can satisfy the global demand for energy while maintaining renewability.”  He feels it’s important to understand all aspects of energy demand, including not only the science behind energy, but also the economic and political aspects, so he can contribute to the development of future energy sources.

Santa Clara resident Serena Kutney recently completed her junior year at the University of California, Davis.  She found her passion for chemical engineering while taking an environmental science class during her senior year in high school.  That class spurred her interest in energy and the environment and led to her interest in pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering.  As an engineering student, she says she is “developing skills that will enable her to create sustainable energy solutions to improve current industry practices.” This course of study has afforded her the opportunity to participate in research of potential new biosource fuel options.

Silicon Valley Power believes in the importance of investing in the future workforce of the electric industry. Supporting students to achieve their career goals through this scholarship program is one of several ways the utility is able to support our community and the energy industry. Applications for the 2020 scholarship program will be available in October.