The Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation (CGIF) is once again proud to partner with the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) to offer scholarships to students studying materials science and engineering.
The Underrepresented Student Scholarship Fund, created by The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and CGIF, aims to support students pursuing materials science in underserved communities. The 2024–25 scholarship cycle awarded two recipients through SHPE: Carolina Mejia and Eridani (Dani) Rojas.
Mejia is a senior studying materials engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She serves as the treasurer of the Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering club at Cal Poly and works with Cal Poly’s Prototype Vehicles Laboratory, a student-run organization that aims to break boundaries in engineering.
Mejia says they are currently building an “EV to break the world record for longest distance on a single charge.” She also plans to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering after graduation, and as a first-generation student, she is grateful for the support that the scholarship has provided.
“Thank you for supporting me while I further my education and attend graduate school,” Mejia says. “Your help is truly invaluable.”
Rojas aims to graduate with his bachelor’s in materials science in engineering from Boise State University in spring 2026.
“I currently work as a simulation programmer in the Computational Materials Engineering Laboratory at Boise State University, where I leverage the use of molecular dynamics simulations to answer questions in the scientific community,” Rojas says.
He also is involved with Boise State’s SHPE Chapter, as well as the Organización de Estudiantes Latino-Americanos (OELA). Like Mejia, Rojas also plans to pursue a master’s degree to continue his education.
“I’m a father, husband, and student. These are all things I’m incredibly proud of, but it comes at the cost of having to wear many hats,” Rojas says. “So receiving this scholarship helps ensure that I complete my education, which in turn, will help provide for my new family. Because of that, I am really grateful.”
You can support underrepresented students in materials science like Carolina Mejia and Dani Rojas by donating to the Underrepresented Student Scholarship Fund at foundation.ceramics.org/get-involved/donate.
