DEARBORN — Dearborn Center for Math, Science and Technology (DCMST) student Angela Matta has been named an Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipient.

The Edsel Ford High School senior will receive a $40,000 scholarship over four years to pursue a degree in computer science at a college of her choice.

Matta is one of 250 students nationwide to receive the award, along with a paid internship offer at Amazon after her freshman year of college to gain hands-on, practical work experience with mentorship from Amazon leaders.

The Amazon Future Engineer program has awarded $22 million in scholarships to 550 students from underserved and historically underrepresented communities since 2019.

Recipients are chosen based on different criteria, including their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, participation in school and community activities, work experience, future goals and financial need.

Applications were reviewed by Amazon and Scholarship America.

“I am so proud of Angela and all of her accomplishments in the field of computer science,” Kim Shawver, DCMST computer science instructor, said. “Since her freshman year, she has taken advantage of as many computing competitions and summer programs that she could fit into her schedule. Thank you, Amazon, for awarding this scholarship to a most deserving student.”

Computer science is the fastest-growing profession within the STEM field, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasting that job opportunities for computer science workers will grow 13 percent before 2030, yet only 8 percent of STEM graduates earn a computer science degree and only a small percentage of those come from underserved and underrepresented communities.

The Amazon Future Engineer program is Amazon’s global philanthropic computer science education program and aims to bridge the gap between interested students and computer science courses and opportunities.