Clark State Community College STEM students Matthew Deans and Sam Coons were awarded scholarships of $4,100 each from Riverside Research. The students were recognized during halftime at a University of Dayton men’s basketball game on February 25.

Matthew Deans, from Urbana, Ohio, is in his final year of study at Clark State. His major is Computer Networking. “I chose a STEM major because technology and computers have fascinated me for most of my life, and I wanted to better understand them and work with them,” he said.

Deans was encouraged to apply for the scholarship because he would like to graduate debt-free. He plans to proceed to a four-year college after graduation and said he was pleasantly surprised to be awarded the scholarship from Riverside Research. “I would tell any future students considering a STEM major to do their best, work hard, study often and to apply for any and all scholarships that they can,” said Deans. “You never know what scholarships you might get.”

To be eligible for Riverside Research scholarships, students must be a US citizen, a sophomore status majoring in a STEM discipline and have plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Candidates must also be recommended by the academic division dean, have a history of community involvement and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average throughout the scholarship period.

Riverside Research, based in Beavercreek, Ohio, is a non-profit company chartered to advance scientific research in the public interest and in support of the United States government. “As a not-for-profit company, we don’t have shareholders; therefore, we are able to reinvest our profits back into the communities we serve,” said Benjamin Leach, manager of strategic communications for Riverside Research. “Supporting the education of local STEM students not only fulfills our charter and advances our mission, it goes a long way in building a strong technical workforce for the entire community.”

The 2014-2015 academic year was the inaugural scholarship campaign for Riverside Research, and the company hopes to continue the program. “We proudly work with Clark State and other local colleges and universities to advance STEM through education, research and workforce development initiatives such as this,” said Leach. “Sam and Matt are wonderful representatives of Clark State. We look forward to helping them meet their career aspirations in any way we can. Together, they represent a truly bright future for the region.”