Cheniere Energy Inc. donates second $50,000 check to DMC Foundation to support scholarships
Funds to assist 10 students over next two years through Cheniere Process Technology Scholarship to build workforce by targeting majors in training field and other related programs
Article by Melinda Eddleman
It’s a gift that will help build the workforce while assisting students with pursuing higher education and joining the ranks with a good paying career. That gift is scholarship funds; and, Cheniere Energy, Inc. donated another $50,000 on Sept. 20 toward the Cheniere Process Technology Scholarship handled through the Del Mar College Foundation.
Company representatives presented an oversized check in front of 30-plus students majoring in the College’s Process Technology Program. The students then heard a moderated panel discussion learn about the Cheniere Energy; its apprenticeship program; job experiences from current employee and DMC alumni Alexis Gutierrez and Yesica Juarez Hernandez; job opportunities; and how to apply for the scholarship, which targets students majoring in Process Technology as well as those in the Industrial Instrumentation, Millwright and other related programs.
Cheniere's generosity is greatly appreciated and extends to volunteering on program advisory committees, the Foundation board as well as significant giving to help our students. This scholarship gift is an investment in the lives of students who come from our community and makes a positive, lasting difference as they work hard to earn their education.
Lance Brown, Cheniere Energy’s Asset Training Manager and a member of the DMC Foundation board, added, “Cheniere is proud to support Del Mar College on its mission to prepare students for fulfilling careers. As a company, we believe that investing in opportunities to help local students gain specialized skills is fundamental to our commitment to making a difference in the communities where we live and work.”
In total, Cheniere Energy has donated $100,000 with the current $50,000 gift marking their second consecutive year to support the scholarship. Ten students will benefit from the current funds with five receiving $5,000 scholarships divided into $2,500 to cover costs for the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. Another five students will receive the same scholarship amount for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Cheniere Energy will give first preference to students who are residents of San Patricio County or those who graduated from a high school located in that county. Recipients must hold and maintain a 3.0 grade point average and enroll in one of the programs full-time (minimum 12 semester credit hours). Scholarship recipients will also remain eligible for the Cheniere Apprenticeship Program.
Regarding students who have already received a Cheniere Process Technology Scholarship, Brown said, “We congratulate all scholarship recipients and wish them great success.”
For 37-year-old DMC Process Technology major Arturo Berlanga IV, receiving one of the 2023-2024 Cheniere Process Technology Scholarships would serve as a “game changer” if he’s selected.
As a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, family man raising with his wife two boys and six pets and a former full-time security guard at Cheniere Energy when he first started the College’s Process Technology Program, Berlanga is now a full-time student and said, “My time spent in the Navy has allowed us to manage bills and the mouths we need to feed; but I’d be lying if I said that it isn’t hard at times. We are always forward-looking as a family and can always find a way to make things work.”
Berlanga learned about the College’s Process Technology Program through a friend and didn’t hesitate to enroll at the College to begin his training. He also met several professionals in the field while working full-time at Cheniere Energy and was convinced his choice was the right career to pursue. Before he and his wife made the decision for Berlanga to attend the College full-time, he spent his first three semesters working the security guard position, noting that “the 12-hour night shifts going into school during the day were taxing.”
His hard work will soon pay off. Berlanga is scheduled to graduate next spring but no later than summer 2024.
Before becoming a security guard at Cheniere Energy, Berlanga worked for the company from 2013 to 2019 as an ironworker, rigger and nationally-certified crane operator; and he feels his new career path could bring him full-circle with the company if he’s hired upon completing the Process Technology Program.
I have always strived to be the best at whatever I do, and I will do the best job I am capable of doing. My hopes are definitely having a job with Cheniere Energy. If I’m lucky enough to end up there, I will be happy.
During the donation event, Berlanga represented the Industrial Process Technology Association Club as one of the registered student organization’s officers.
To learn more about Del Mar College’s Process Technology Program and other fields, visit www.delmar.edu.
Information about the DMC Foundation and scholarship opportunities is available at www.delmar.edu/foundation.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.