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Whitney High School senior Hannah Chen (center) displays her $40,000 Edison Scholars check with her mother, Jianquing (left), and Caroline Choi, senior vice president of Edison International and SCE .
Staff Report
When Hannah Chen saw the camera crews at Gretchen Whitney High School in Cerritos, she figured it was part of a video being shot to promote her award-winning school. She even played along when she was called up to the front of her Advanced Placement Psychology class while the cameras were rolling.
What Chen wasn’t expecting were the events that followed, being presented with a $40,000 college scholarship.
“We have a passion for clean energy and are investing in the future of our communities by giving to our kids,” said Caroline Choi, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Edison International and SCE, “We wish you much success in your college career, helping build a better tomorrow.”
Chen is one of 30 high school seniors selected from among 722 applicants to be awarded the Edison Scholarship this year. To qualify, the recipients must live in SCE’s service area, have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA, show financial need and plan to pursue studies in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math [STEM] at a four-year accredited college or university.
Since 2006, Edison International has awarded more than $9.9 million in scholarships to 640 students including the 2019 Edison Scholars.
Chen said the scholarship will go a long way helping with her tuition at California Institute of Technology, where she plans to major in computer science. “I know Edison places a big focus on sustainability and I think that’s really important for our future,” she said, “With this generous scholarship, I will be able to pursue those dreams.”
Hannah Chen is a World Math Team USA champion and the president of her high school chess club. Seeing the effects of wildfires in California, she hopes to one day design a system that can predict and prevent future forest fires. As an incoming computer science major, she is interested in analyzing real-time data collected and harnessing the power of machine learning to pinpoint when and whether or not, a wildfire threat can potentially spread. She plans to major in computer science at Cal Tech.
