MARSHALL, Texas — Eastman Chemical Co. has recently awarded 16 high school seniors with scholarships to attend one of the six Eastman partner technical colleges.
Out of the 16, six students were selected for the Texas State Technical College’s Process Operations program offered at the Marshall campus.
Marcus Hooper, a learning services technologist has been employed with Eastman Chemical Co. for nearly 20 years and says the company enjoys partnering with local high schools.
“We try to select candidates for the scholarships that identify with our safety and core values and try to recruit a good, solid, diverse, highly-qualified student population for the future,” Hooper said.
Selected scholarship recipients are encouraged to apply for a paid internship with Eastman Chemical Co. during their first and second years of college to open up future growth opportunities.
The TSTC Foundation is also partnering with Eastman Chemical Co. in awarding annual scholarships.
Erica Griffin, a former TSTC Process Operations instructor and former employee of Eastman Chemical, received a scholarship as a high school senior were she now works as a program team lead for TSTC.
“As a former Eastman employee and recipient of a scholarship for process technology, it brings me great joy to know that the students are able to see the importance of education, but also Eastman's dedication to aiding in the development of the future workforce,” Griffin said.
TSTC student Lazabion Bledsoe, of Carthage, is one of the students who received the scholarship after being encouraged to apply and says, “Earning the Eastman scholarship gets you in contact with good people to know in the industry,” Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe is currently planning to earn his Associate of Applied Science degree in fall 2025.