Michigan EV Scholars program gives college students $10,000 scholarships: What's required
As the Motor City changes, so do opportunities for college students in Michigan interested in scholarship money to pursue the transition to electric vehicles from internal combustion engines.
In recent days, a dozen students from Michigan State University's College of Engineering have been named in the first round of Michigander EV Scholars program to receive up to $10,000 in scholarship money while working at companies in metro Detroit, Lansing, Jackson and Saginaw. This is part of a new state campaign to promote careers and recruit talent to fill jobs in the auto industry or so-called transportation mobility sector.
The scholarship program may award as many as 350 students statewide at participating universities who sign a letter of employment with an approved company and commit to staying in Michigan for 12 months. The EV scholars recognized at MSU this month have accepted internship offers and will receive an initial $5,000 scholarship that qualifies them for the full $10,000 offer upon acceptance of a full-time job in Michigan, MSU said in a news release.
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) has worked to recruit students to begin as soon as this year. Higher education partners include MSU, the University of Michigan, Michigan Technological University in the Upper Peninsula, Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Macomb Community College and Schoolcraft College in Livonia.
Who's wanted
Key recruitment targets include software developers, electrical engineers, production workers and front-line supervisors. Michigan is pushing to position itself as a leader in computer science, engineering and manufacturing to meet growing industry demand.
“For generations, Michiganders have stepped up to get the job done by embodying the kind of grit, determination and work ethic needed to keep the world moving forward,” Quentin L. Messer Jr., CEO of the MEDC, said in the news release. He attended an MSU event April 26 where the students signed letters of intent for summer and fall internships and co-op opportunities focused on electric vehicles.
MSU released the student list below with their anticipated graduation dates and respective employers:
Eduardo Ferdinandi, of Birmingham; spring 2026; General Motors in Warren
Kurk Edwards, of Oak Park; spring 2024; Commonwealth Association in Jackson
Pranav Rakkappan, of Northville; spring 2024; Toyota in Ann Arbor
Dauan Hendley, of Detroit; spring 2024; Nissan in Farmington Hills
Brian Garcia Ibarra, of Pontiac; fall 2023; Ford in Dearborn
Shane Pat, of Thailand; spring 2024; Ford in Allen Park
Noah Sanders, of Benton Harbor; fall 2024; Nexteer in Saginaw
Nyah Williams, of Detroit; spring 2025; Lansing Board of Water & Light
Manov Singh, of Lansing; spring 2024; Lansing Board of Water & Light
Morghane McAnelly, of Rochester Hills; fall 2024; Ford in Allen Park
Chris Martin, of Northville; spring 2024; American Axle in Detroit
Logan Lara, of Grand Rapids; spring 2025; Lear Corp. in Troy
Companies participating in this program include BorgWarner, Bosch, Dana Inc., Denso, Gentex Corp., LG Energy Solution, Magna, Mahle, Nexteer, Our Next Energy, Shape Corp. and ZF.
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Why they chose the program
Eduardo Ferdinandi, 18, comes from a family that has worked for General Motors in the U.S. and Stellantis in Italy. He leaned toward mechanical engineering initially but a high school class in computer programming sparked his interest in computer science. He'll intern with GM this summer.
"There's so much room to grow in electric, and it's great to feel like I can be a part of that," Ferdinandi told the Detroit Free Press.
Pranav Rakkappan, 20, studies applied engineering science that includes everything from thermodynamics to computer circuits. He's concentrating on supply chain management with a computer science minor. He had internships with BorgWarner as a freshman and sophomore, first remotely and then in Auburn Hills. He wrote programs that helped the company audit projects for process quality. This summer, he'll go to BMW in South Carolina. And in the fall, Rakkappan starts at Toyota as part of the scholar program.
"I'm a big fan of tech. And my dad (who works at Ford) turned me into the car guy I am now," Rakkappan said. "Through this program, you get to network with a bunch of companies and have the ability to negotiate.”
Ford Mustang created a dream
Morghane McAnelly, 21, said she "fell in love with Ford" at age 13 when her friend's father drove a Ford Mustang to eighth grade lacrosse practice.
"My dad, he was a sales manager for FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles). My grandpa worked for Chrysler. My great-uncle was an engineer at GM," she told the Free Press. "I wrote a research paper on electric vehicles when I was pre-law, then took a computer science course and realized I wanted to work for an automotive company and do software engineering, something technology related."
Logan Lara, 20, said the program helps industry leaders find talent for the world of electric vehicle development.
"Michigan, in general, is just a hot spot. And employers can't find us," he told the Free Press. "I'm very interested in being involved in innovative processes. The EV industry is the place to be. No one close to me has done what I'm doing. My dad worked previously in the hotel industry as a cook. He always pushed me to get good grades, stay in school and pick a career that can sustain me, take me to higher levels beyond what our family's currently at."
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At Lear, Lara said he'll be able to do controls engineering where he'll work in a factory perfecting the processes of creating vehicle seating electrical systems. He'll deal with robotics, lasers and writing software coding so everything can communicate with everything else.
"That's why I want to go to Lear," he said.
Salaries of $75,000 and up
“The automotive industry is undergoing a once-in-a-lifetime transformation with the shift to e-mobility, and MSU is thrilled to be a partner with the MEDC to help drive our state forward in this revolutionary industry,” Garth Motschenbacher, MSU College of Engineering employer engagement director, said in the news release.
"The goal is to build this community up so that we always have candidates ready to apply and accept opportunities in the EV industry," he told the Free Press.
Since January, MSU and the University of Michigan and Michigan Tech are exceeding 160 students total in this inaugural group of EV-eligible scholars, Motschenbacher said.
Student resumes are still out, and another student just accepted an offer from Bosch, he said Saturday. "It's been a little crazy. We're building the plane as we're flying the plane."
The average salary for many of these fields is $75,000-plus, Motschenbacher noted.
This recruitment campaign, which will expand nationally, is part of a $34 million talent attraction and retention strategy the MEDC is introducing this year to grow the state workforce. The $34 million is part of $115.6 million allocated in a bipartisan vote last year by the Michigan Legislature for business attraction, community revitalization and entrepreneurship programs, the news release said.
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Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan EV Scholars program gives college students $10K scholarships
