By Karen Robes Meeks
Seventy-seven area high school and college students received scholarships totaling $100,000 from the Port of Long Beach earlier this month.
They were honored at the Port’s sixth annual “Celebrating Education” event, which took place at the Long Beach Marriott as part of World Trade Month.
The event also spotlighted the port’s newest crop of 25 high school summer interns, and the 22 local teachers newly trained in engineering education in the port's externship program.
“The Harbor Commission has a longstanding belief in leveraging the port’s position as the second-busiest container seaport in the United States for positive changes in our industry and our community,” said Tracy Egoscue, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. “The Academy of Global Logistics at Cabrillo High School successfully combines academics and industry-relevant training with the goal of educating our city’s students to become leaders in global trade and goods movement.”
The port also announced that it will raise the scholarship amount to $125,000 next year.
“The Port of Long Beach is committed to investing in tomorrow’s future industry leaders through internships and scholarships that will help support the development of a skilled workforce in international trade and goods movement,” said Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. “As the industry continues to grow, education outreach and workforce development programs have become a larger priority for the Port of Long Beach and the entire goods movement industry.”