Five GCS students awarded $1,000 scholarships from LaunchGVL

Five lucky students were awarded $1,000 scholarships from LaunchGVL, a partnership between the Greenville Chamber and Greenville County Schools to provide paid internship opportunities to Greenville County Schools students in high-demand occupations.

Olivia Bonilla, a senior at Greer High School, Sebastian Castrejon-Roman, a senior at Carolina High School & Academy, Rylie DeWeese, a senior at Greenville High Academy, Carter Lumm, a senior at Hillcrest High School and Jillian Talbot, an eleventh grader Mauldin High School, were selected to receive the scholarships during a live drawing at this week’s LaunchGVL celebration event.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments of these students. Their success is proof that when schools, employers and the community partner to create paid work opportunities for young people, everyone benefits. It’s one of the reasons student participation in work-based learning programs has skyrocketed in recent years,” said Dr. Burke Royster, Superintendent of Greenville County Schools.

Power:Ed, a philanthropy of SC Student Loan, provided funding to present five $1,000 scholarships during the ceremony. Power:Ed is dedicated to creating opportunities for South Carolina’s youth by supporting low-income, minority, and first-generation students; improving access to college and degree completion; and creating pathways to quality workforce opportunities.

“Access to talent and workforce continues to be a top concern for area employers and the LaunchGVL initiative plays a key role in directly addressing this issue,” said Carlos Phillips, Greenville Chamber President/CEO. “Thank you to the many community partners who help to make this life-changing program available.”

During the 2021-22 school year, 99 students were employed by 37 different companies, setting a program record for student engagement.