Energy manufacturing and logistics company Phillips 66 is launching scholarship that focuses on providing students in majors that align with Phillips 66 recruiting portfolio and business needs.
The Houston-based company donated $500,000 to the Texas A&M Foundation as part of the company’s SHIELD Scholars program. Leslie Uptain, program coordinator in Scholarships and Financial Aid, said 24 A&M students will benefit from the program this year.
A&M is the most recent addition to the SHIELD Program that includes Texas Tech, Oklahoma and the University of Texas, bringing the total number of schools to 10.
“We have strong heritage with Texas A&M and have enjoyed great success recruiting top talent to join us as we shape the energy landscape,” said Courtney Hawkes, senior advisor of university relations at Phillips 66. “We strive to attract top talent, develop and lead them in their careers and further our efforts to positively impact the energy market with diversity of thought and global perspectives. Our core values of safety, honor and commitment align very well with foundational principles of the University.”
Along with financial aid, the SHIELD program offers a mentorship program that matches each scholarship recipient with a current employee of Phillips 66.
“In the SHIELD program students are also paired with a Phillips 66 employee,” Uptain said. “It gives them someone to contact, have a coach for their development especially in the energy industry.”
Hawkes also discussed the history of the program and the point of the mentorship program.
“[Shield Scholars is] a newly developed program that focuses on engaging students in their community while building personal development and leadership skills,” Hawkes said. “Each student will partner with a Phillips 66 professional who walked in a similar path just a few years earlier. We believe this relationship allows for a deeper connection of classroom learning with industry experience and can add additional depth to a scholar’s learning.”
Phillips 66 will continue to fund these students until they graduate as long as they maintain a 3.25 GPA and must participate in monthly enrichment activities.
“Phillips 66 is very generous in their funding, not only for the scholarships but also for the enrichment activities,” Uptain said. “The enrichment activities will take place in the Bryan-College Station area and beyond. We plan on going to an OPAS production, having guest speakers, having a leadership development lecture, et cetera, on a monthly basis.”
Scholarship recipient Neil Rabroker, junior accounting and business honors major, expressed his gratitude and expectations of the program.
“I’m so thankful and excited for this opportunity,” he said. “I love any opportunity to take advantage of networking, especially with Phillips 66, which is in Houston – the energy capital. It’s great to know someone in the field nowadays. The internship opportunities that will open up from this will also be amazing. In today’s world, everything is about getting experience and a way in.”