Twenty scholars came together this past Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Rio Cafe from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to celebrate with family and faculty mentors in honor of the Scholarships to Aid Rio Hondo STEM Students (STARSS) scholarships.

This past year alone a total of $109,000 has been granted, awards ranging from $4,000 to $6,000.

The National Science Foundation Scholarship Grant for STEM students, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, has now approached its third year.

“This program allows students to work less and study more,” states Dr. Vann Priest in efforts to publicize the importance of the grants followed by an outline of the future possibilities for STEM professionals.

Further information, presented by Dr. Spieler-Persad, was provided for families explaining the time dependency of students at the Rio Hondo College MESA Center.

If interested in the STARSS program or have questions/concerns, please feel free to contact the MESA program.