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August 31, 2021

Shaping the Future: One Student at a Time

Submitted by fp-admin on

Today’s students will soon be tomorrow’s leaders and investing in the next generation of trailblazers is one way we are working to shape the future for our company and the communities we serve.

Take Nika Filippov, the daughter of George Nemeth, who is our LNG Marketing and Commercial Development Director in Texas. A nationally ranked champion fencer, a member of her high school’s robotics club, the founder of The Women’s Empowerment Initiative at Duchesne Academy and an aspiring mechanical engineer, Nika was a worthy scholarship recipient. Not only that, she volunteered at Houston’s Star of Hope Women’s Shelter, the Russian Cultural Center and the Houston Food Bank.

One of the criteria a scholarship recipient like Nika must possess is exhibiting our values. Students like Nika embody what drives our high-performance culture and the leadership we celebrate both inside and outside our company. That said, we couldn’t be more proud to name her one of our recipients.

Investing in the Future

Since its inception in 1998, Sempra has awarded over $4.7 million in scholarships to champion 831 children of employees and their achievements. The scholarships are offered to students who will continue their education at a trade or technical school, community college or four-year college or university. To be considered, students must be children or dependents of Sempra employees and rank highly in a combination of both academic and non-academic criteria. Each year, multiple award amounts are granted, including up to seven $16,000 grand prize awards, up to twenty-six $4,000 one-time awards, and up to six $1,500 one-time awards.

“I am so glad that my dad encouraged me to pursue this scholarship program and hope other students are inspired to share their achievements and apply,” said Nika Filippov. “Today I am working as an Assistant Director of Research and Development for a startup called FarUV Solutions and I love that Sempra prompted me to put myself out there and ultimately played a role in helping me realize my dreams of working in the engineering field.”

Living Our Values

Through Scholarship America, applications are evaluated, one-time award recipients are selected and ten finalists are chosen to be eligible for the four-year grand prize renewable awards. Through the lens of our core values, a cross-functional committee of Sempra executives then interview these finalists and select the recipients of the $16,000 grand prize awards.

Our scholarship program continues to grow with our Texas team and Nika is joined by other exceptional recipients. To date, there have been three award winners and a total of $20,000 in scholarships granted to students in the Lone Star state.

Additionally, as part of our ongoing commitment to Port Arthur, Texas, Sempra LNG has partnered with organizations like the Port Arthur Education Foundation, NAACP and Black Women’s Coalition to award scholarships to students pursuing their education in STEM fields in Southeast Texas as well. In fact, more than $35,000 have been awarded to-date through these efforts. Building a strong educational foundation helps students pursue their dreams through higher education as well as contribute to developing a strong local workforce.

Recognizing students like Nika and doing our part to help shape a bright future by empowering the next generation of leaders is a key part of our high-performance culture.