Since 2021, Greater Washington Partnership (the Partnership) has championed more than 400 scholarships for undergraduate students across the Baltimore to Richmond region through the Emerging Tech Talent Scholarship program in collaboration with 14 postsecondary partners. The Scholarship supports learners from underrepresented populations in the tech workforce as they develop skills for technology careers, such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and software development. The Emerging Tech Talent Scholarship is funded by generous contributions from the Deloitte Foundation, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and T. Rowe Price. 

In April, the Partnership held the third annual Emerging Tech Talent Scholarship Day, hosted by Amazon at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Skills Center Arlington and HQ2 in Arlington, Va. There were 17 scholars in attendance, representing nine scholarship-awarding institutions: American University, Bowie State University, Gallaudet University, Georgetown University, George Mason University, Marymount University, Trinity Washington University, the University of Maryland, Global Campus, and the University of the District of Columbia.

AWS Skills Center Arlington Open House & Industry Panel 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s largest cloud-provider and has delivered services to millions of customers over 17 years. In recent years, AWS has opened three Skills Centers globally, including one adjacent to Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington, to help learners envision and prepare for cloud-related careers. The centers offer free, foundational classes on topics across cloud, generative AI, and computing, as well as a suite of interactive tools and exhibits. AWS welcomed ETT Scholars to the Skills Center Arlington for a private open house to kick off the event.

Following the open house, students participated in a career panel featuring professionals working in sports, technology, and policy at some of the region’s top employers, like Amazon, Capital One and Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The panel included Simon Morrison, Senior Public Policy Manager for AI and Privacy Policy at Amazon, Carter Bristow, Associate Software Engineer at Capital One, and Andrew McNeill, Vice President of Esports at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The speakers outlined key moments in their career trajectories, innovations in their industries, and how they interact with technology in their roles. After the panel, students were able to ask questions and connect one-on-one with speakers.

HQ2 Campus Tour

Following their visit to the AWS Skills Center Arlington, the students received a private tour of HQ2. During the tour, students heard about Amazon’s unique design processes and attention to sustainability, including expansive bicycle facilities, bird-friendly glass, dog parks, and plants throughout its interior. The students also learned about one important reason why Amazon selected Arlington for HQ2: its robust local talent pipelines.

“I had a wonderful experience hearing from experts in the industry on their fields, as well as the need to be open to new experiences because they might turn out to be different than what you assume. I am grateful to the Partnership for not only taking the initiative to encourage students in technology, but also providing them opportunities to hear from inspiring people within the industry.” – Himadri Bhandari, Emerging Tech Talent Scholarship Student, Marymount University

“It was a great learning experience. I got a first-hand look at the tech that Amazon is currently developing. I also learned a lot more about AWS and how it operates as a whole. The most valuable part to me was networking, I met many other like-minded tech professionals/students and was able to compare our experiences in the field.” – Ryan Chalhoub, Emerging Tech Talent Scholarship Student, George Mason University

The Future of the Emerging Tech Talent Scholarship

Greater Washington Partnership and its partner companies look forward to continuing to create opportunities for Emerging Tech Talent Scholars to learn from industry leaders and gain more exposure to career opportunities in our region. 

If you are an employer who is interested in engaging with students pursuing digital tech coursework across the Partnership’s university partners, please reach out to Emily West ([email protected]) to learn more. 

About Greater Washington Partnership

Greater Washington Partnership is the first-of-its-kind nonprofit alliance of the region’s most influential and leading employers across industry sectors in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC – all committed to championing the region’s economic growth and vibrancy. Together, we leverage our collective experiences, resources and assets to offer real solutions and identify shared challenges to the region’s most critical issues including skills and talent, regional mobility, infrastructure and inclusive economic growth. Our goal is to ensure the entire region, from Baltimore to Richmond, remains vibrant, economically competitive, prosperous and is the best place to live, work and build a business.