Pepco Surprises 3 DC Students With Full College Scholarships

Jamie Gonzalez's hands were shaking as she walked into the Pepco Edison Place Gallery, preparing for one last interview round. The Oxon Hill High School senior knew only one finalist would win the scholarship, and she needed to give it everything she had.

Then a crowd jumped out yelling "Surprise!" holding giant signs. Every finalist in the room had actually won.

On Tuesday, Pepco and the Exelon Foundation awarded three students the Chris Crane Memorial Scholarship, covering full tuition, room and board for up to four years. The scholarship supports students pursuing degrees in business, finance, engineering or IT.

Gonzalez plans to study mechanical engineering with a certificate in aerospace engineering. As the first in her immigrant family to attend college, she said the scholarship makes higher education possible for the first time.

Junior Ventura, a student at Capital City Public Charter School in DC, was equally stunned. Growing up in a neighborhood where he heard more about dishwashers and servers than doctors or lawyers, he never imagined this moment.

"My dad is a restaurant server," Ventura said. "Being able to become an engineer now and pursue a professional degree will be life changing for my family."

Jacob Kaminski from Clayton, Delaware rounds out the trio of winners. He plans to major in civil engineering and said the scholarship lifts the financial burden from his parents, who can now focus on his two younger siblings.

Pepco received hundreds of applications for the scholarship's fifth year. Tyler Anthony, president and CEO of Pepco Holdings, said winners were selected based on their performance in the company's summer STEM academies and interviews.

Why This Inspires

These three students represent countless young people whose talent and drive match their dreams, but whose families face impossible financial barriers. The scholarship doesn't just change their lives. It transforms entire families and shows younger siblings that college is within reach through hard work.

Kaminski summed it up perfectly: "I'm very excited to show my siblings and the kids I teach that college is always an opportunity."

Three families just got their futures back, and three students can now focus on learning instead of loans.