2016 Orbital ATK Scholarship Program Awards $135,000 to 70 Students for Undergraduate Education
July 6, 2016 | By Business Wire News
DULLES, Va.
Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced the 2016 recipients of the Orbital ATK Scholarship Program that awards scholarships supporting the undergraduate education of Orbital ATK employees’ children.
This year, Orbital ATK awarded $135,000 in scholarships to 70 students selected from an academically talented pool of applicants from around the country who are children of company employees. Parents of scholarship recipients work at 25 company locations in 11 states and represent all three Orbital ATK operating groups and the corporate office.
With this year’s awards, Orbital ATK and its legacy companies awarded more than $1.8 million in college scholarships, grants and other awards to a total 1,531 students over 26 years.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s scholarship recipients and their parents,” said President and Chief Executive Officer David W. Thompson. “These students clearly worked hard to achieve the exceptional academic records and other accomplishments that enabled them to receive these highly competitive scholarships. Orbital ATK is proud to provide this well-deserved financial support and we wish each of the recipients all the best as they pursue their undergraduate educations.”
Recipients were selected by Scholarship Management Services, the nation’s largest manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Selection criteria included the student’s grade point average, and if a high school senior, rank-in-class and test scores, leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, a statement of education and career goals, unusual family or personal circumstances and an appraisal by someone unrelated to the student. Awards were granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or national origin.
Wesley Gardner, a manager of business development at Orbital ATK’s Chandler, Arizona campus, is grateful for the company’s support and recognition of his son’s accomplishments.
“My son has worked very hard in his educational goals.” Gardner said. “This tremendous benefit will provide much needed assistance to my son as he continues his education in pursuit of a career in science. I am proud to work for a company that recognizes the importance of education and provides support to employees and their children.”
Nearly 76% of this year’s scholarships will be awarded to students with STEM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) majors, an amount greatly exceeding the program’s stipulation that a 25% minimum of scholarships be awarded to STEM majors. The program’s STEM emphasis underscores Orbital ATK’s focus on STEM education as the driver of innovation and technology. As a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, more than one-third of Orbital ATK’s employees are engineers and scientists, jobs requiring STEM talents.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,000 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
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Orbital ATK
Sean Wilson, 832-415-1254
Corporate Communications
sean.wilson@orbitalatk.com
