Blackhawk Technical College and the BTC Foundation are proud to announce the 2022-2023 IDEAL Opportunity Scholarship recipient: Maranda Mendiola, a 2022 graduate from Beloit Memorial High School.
As a recipient of this scholarship, Maranda, who began the Electro-Mechanical Technology program in August, receives full tuition and necessary supplies to attend Blackhawk. She also has a faculty mentor, two paid internship opportunities and a stipend to help offset living expenses while she finishes her degree.
“I’ve always felt like I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I got great opportunities to explore. And I ended up here. It’s crazy how things work out. Now, I’m excited to be at Blackhawk,” Maranda said. “I’m very lucky to have this scholarship. Without it, I probably wouldn’t be going to college or getting such a great head start on my career and my future.”
Maranda’s post-high school plans all came together during her senior year at Beloit Memorial High School when she began a maintenance internship at Frito-Lay. That experience led her to Blackhawk’s six-week Industrial Maintenance Class this summer where she learned about the IDEAL Opportunity Scholarship - an intentional effort by Blackhawk to increase access to education and transform the lives of persons of color who are low-income and may be first-generation college students.
Through this scholarship program, Maranda will experience two internships while progressing through the Electro-Mechanical Technology Associate Degree program. For the fall 2022 semester, Maranda is working with the maintenance department at the Beloit Frito-Lay facility, and she also will intern at SHINE Technologies.
Maranda credits her success to the support she has received from her family.
“My family has supported me by always making sure that I have what I need and always encouraging me to do my best,” she said.
Instructor Bill Lobenstein, Maranda’s mentor in the Electro-Mechanical Technology program, said she has been a joy to teach.
“Maranda has accepted any and all the challenges of being a college student in the EM program. She brightens up when a task is presented and performed, which shows me that she will be a very successful technician in our industry with a very high ceiling for success,” he said.
Maranda is the third recipient of this scholarship since its inception in 2020. IDEAL stands for Inclusion – Diversity – Equity – Accessibility – Launch and is designed to support full-time enrolled students as they work toward degree completion in designated, high-need areas, including Industrial Maintenance Mechanic, Electro-Mechanical Technology, Automated Systems Technology and Criminal Justice.
The scholarship program is sustained by many contributors, including PepsiCo, parent company of Frito-Lay, which donated $25,000 in July for the IDEAL Opportunity Scholarship.
For more information, please visit blackhawk.edu/ideal or contact the Blackhawk Technical College Foundation at lhurda@blackhawk.edu or (608) 757-7704.