Full-Rides Awarded To Students Completing Program Made Available By The Englestad Foundation and The mikeroweWORKS Foundation
A first-of-its-kind program was unveiled at Western High School in Las Vegas this week, with an end-goal of providing full-ride scholarships for two-year programs or less to local students upon graduation.
The Warrior Pathway Program is a four-year high school program inspired by the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s S.W.E.A.T. Pledge (standing for Skill and Work Ethic Aren’t Taboo), which focuses on four main principles—work ethic, personal responsibility, delayed gratification and a positive attitude.
As part of this program, all incoming freshmen at Western High School will be required to take the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s Work Ethic Certification Program, also based on the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, that aims to give students the employability skills they need to be successful in school and work long-term.
This freshman class will be given the opportunity to participate in the Warrior Pathway Program throughout their high school years. While students will be asked to maintain strong attendance and behavior, there is no GPA requirement to participate in subsequent years of the program.
“No matter how quickly the world changes, the qualities of successful individuals are still the same,” said Mike Rowe, best known as the creator and host of the hit TV series Dirty Jobs and founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. “The principles of hard work, determination and respect for others are always in demand and a big part of our curriculum and scholarships. I’m excited that Western High School has found a way to integrate my foundation’s work ethic curriculum in its Warrior Pathway Program, and I’m grateful to work with the Engelstad Foundation on this project. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this program can have at Western High School.”
Students partaking in the Warrior Pathway Program will be engaged in activities focused on the various types of skills, mindsets and traits needed to be successful in high-paying, trade jobs.
Those opting in the latter years of this program will have enhanced access to trade-focused internships and jobs. Students completing the program will be offered scholarships to schools with two-year programs or less of their choosing. The value of these scholarships is projected to total approximately $4.5 million. Funding for the Warrior Pathway Program is provided by the Engelstad Foundation.
“This is all about supporting our students, particularly in one of our high schools that has faced challenges in terms of college and career readiness,” says Kris Engelstad, CEO of the Engelstad Foundation. “We see these scholarships as motivating factors to help keep kids in school, reduce chronic absenteeism and increase the number of students who are ultimately gaining access to higher paying jobs after high school.”
Local nonprofit Jobs 4 Nevada Graduates will oversee the day-to-day implementation of the program via an on-site Career Pathway Specialist placed at Western High School.
“Western High School is filled with great students with a tremendous potential for great vocational success. I am both thrilled and grateful for the partnership with the mikeroweWORKS and Englestad foundations to bring this opportunity to our well deserving students. This program creates the pathway for student hard work to meet opportunity for a traditionally unserved community,” shared Antonio Rael, principal of Western High School.
For more information on the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, visit mikeroweworks.org. For more information on the Engelstad Foundation, visit engelstadfoundation.org.
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