COTC Student Awarded Intel Scholarship and Tour of Arizona Facility

Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) student Alexis McPeck recently received the Intel Scholarship for Women in Technology. This competitive scholarship was awarded to only 25 women in Ohio who planned to enroll in a two-year associate degree or one-year semiconductor certificate program.

Not only were recipients awarded with a $5,000 scholarship, but eight were also selected to visit an Intel semiconductor factory, or fab, in Phoenix, Arizona, for a hands-on experience.

McPeck, one of the selective eight, is an electrical engineering student who found COTC through its partnership with Intel. “I wasn’t sure how I wanted to pursue [technology] until I saw COTC’s partnership with Intel. That got me looking into all the technology programs they had, and I landed on electrical engineering.”

This scholarship aims to empower and solidify the role of women in technology. “It’s a very rewarding thing to be a woman in engineering,” McPeck says. “To play an important role in a primarily male dominated field is very empowering. And to know that I could potentially inspire other young women to also jump in and pursue a path like mine is so cool.”

McPeck, like many COTC students, had a nontraditional journey to college. “I’m a single mother, so I thought going to college wasn’t going to be an option for me,” explains McPeck.

I’m so glad I made the decision to try and go back to school, because I’ve learned that I can do what I initially thought was impossible. COTC has been great with helping me through this experience.

The trip had a significant impact on McPeck. “I couldn’t believe how big of an operation it was. I learned so much about the culture of Intel and what they’re trying to accomplish. They seem to really care for their employees,” McPeck enthuses. “I also learned about the many potential career paths I could take at Intel with my degree and what a day in the life of those jobs would look like. There is so much room for growth. We spoke to many people who have climbed the ladder, from all the way down where I’d potentially be starting!”

McPeck describes the Intel-sponsored Phoenix trip as “one of the coolest opportunities I think I could’ve ever gotten!”

COTC is just as excited to see students engaging and participating in these opportunities, which reaffirm how dedicated and outstanding our students truly are.

For more information on COTC and our ongoing partnership with Intel, visit go.cotc.edu/engineering.