Auburn Hills, Michigan, February 25, 2021 – BorgWarner is taking further action in its commitment to diversity through a donation of $925,000 for scholarships for Kettering University students. The BorgWarner Scholars Program will aim to distribute annual scholarships to students in financial need, with a primary focus on African American and Hispanic students who have an interest in participating in an engineering co-op at BorgWarner.
Kettering University and BorgWarner will work together to identify students in underserved communities through various recruitment efforts. Through the endowment, Kettering University will be able to award scholarships – with nearly $40,000 earmarked annually. Students will be on-site, full time at BorgWarner during their paid co-op rotations which start freshman year. During these rotations, students will gain over two years of real-world experience working alongside BorgWarner engineers and mentors, gaining skills to support and supplement their schoolwork and eventual transition into salaried, full-time employment.
Separately, BorgWarner donated $100,000 to support a new Kettering University initiative and help expand it to more corporate sponsors.
“At BorgWarner, we’re dedicated to cultivating a diverse workforce and in order to do so, we need to take action at the student level and help talented, bright, diverse minds overcome the barriers they are facing,” said Felecia Pryor, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, BorgWarner Inc. “We relate well with Kettering University’s commitment to education that embodies technology and innovation and believe this endowment will be truly successful in opening doors and creating opportunities for students in the field who are most in need.”
Though science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) employment is surging, African American and Hispanic professionals are significantly under-represented in the field. This is in-part because many underrepresented students lack the resources and vision to realize STEM success is achievable for them. Kettering University is working with BorgWarner, among other industry partners, to provide gateway opportunities that foster and promote curiosity, provide and leverage educational resources and focus on career transition into STEM fields for the long-term.
“We are grateful to BorgWarner for investing in experiential, as well as financial, opportunities for students," said Sue Davies, Vice President of University Advancement and External Relations at Kettering. "The impact this, coupled with our unique Co-op and educational experience, will have on these students immediately prepares them to be innovators and leaders in STEM industries around the world. I'm most excited about how this will complement and further enhance our existing Office of Multicultural Students Initiatives (OMSI) which provides tutoring, mentorship and other support services to ensure our students' success."
BorgWarner presented the $1,025,000 check to Kettering University on February 25, fortifying the partnership.