Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XIV, Issue II Fall 2020 | Page 8

FOUNDATION
NEWS
Duke Energy Foundation
Empowers Students
For the third year in a row, Duke Energy has
invested in engineering students at PHSC.
A $25,000 grant in 2019-2020 helped to
provide scholarships for students in Engineering
and Design/Drafting programs, while also
securing matching scholarship funds for firstgeneration
students in these fields. Duke Energy’s
contribution additionally funds the SkillsUSA
program and supports students in achieving
industry certifications such as AutoCAD. Support
from the Duke Energy Foundation assists and
prepares these students for competition with the
proper uniforms and equipment, allowing students
to focus solely on their projects.
SkillsUSA is a nationwide partnership that brings
students, teachers and industry partners together
at the local, state and national level. Students
demonstrate the correlation between their
technical and academic learning and the needs
of employers in high skill, wage and demand
careers. More than 300,000 students and advisors
annually participate in SkillsUSA.
Prior to the SkillsUSA competitions suspension
in the spring, several PHSC students participated
in the club. Many were positioned to advance
to state-level competition including welding
student Josh Adams. “I have learned so much
from my instructor but also fellow students. My
instructor helped me one-on-one and encouraged
me throughout the class, making sure I had a
fighting chance since I was competing against
competitors that are more skilled. SkillsUSA was
a great learning experience that will definitely help
me when I join the work force and eventually start
my own business,” explained Adams.
Josh Adams, PHSC welding student.
6 PHSC