Sempra Energy Donates $20,000 to American Indian College Fund for Tribal College Scholarships in Southwest

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Feb 07, 2013, 07:00 ET

DENVER, Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sempra Energy has donated $20,000 to the American Indian College Fund (the Fund) to establish the Sempra Energy Tribal Scholarship Program. The grant will support scholarships for American Indian students pursuing degrees in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs at tribal colleges and universities in the Southwestern United States. Students studying engineering and mathematics will receive funding preference.

Students attending Dine College, Tohono O'odham Community College, Navajo Technical College, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute are eligible to apply. Scholarships will begin in the 2013-14 academic year.

"Sempra Energy is proud to support educational programs that encourage diversity and inspire the future leaders of our generation" said G. Joyce Rowland, senior vice president of human resources, diversity and inclusion for Sempra Energy. "Our partnership with the American Indian College Fund will provide American Indian students the opportunity to attain higher education degrees in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an effort to promote sustainable, community-based change."

"Thanks to the vision of Sempra Energy, American Indian students who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend college can earn a degree," said Dr. Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. "An education provides opportunities that Native students might not otherwise have, and allows them to make significant contributions to their communities and their tribes."

About Sempra Energy
Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2011 revenues of $10 billion. The Sempra Energy companies' 17,500 employees serve more than 31 million consumers worldwide.

About the American Indian College Fund
With its credo "Educating the Mind and Spirit," The American Indian College Fund is the premier scholarship organization for Native students. Created in 1989 to provide scholarships and support for the nation's 34 tribal colleges, the Fund receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators, including the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, and received its third consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator. It provides more than 3,500 Native students with scholarships annually.

SOURCE American Indian College Fund