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Twenty Saginaw County high school students were awarded the Michigan Technological University (MTU) Summer Youth Program scholarship sponsored by the Dow Corning Healthcare Industries Materials Site (HIMS) and Hemlock Semiconductor Group. Students, parents, teachers and site leaders attended a reception to honor the recipients on May 9 in the Hemlock Semiconductor Cafeteria.

The scholarship was aimed at eleventh grade students who expressed interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education or careers or have demonstrated scholastic success in these subjects. Over 70 applications were received for the 2012 scholarship, and 20 scholarships were awarded to students from the following schools: Arthur Hill, Buena Vista, Freeland, Hemlock, Merrill, Saginaw High, SASA (Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy) and St. Charles.

The scholarship will cover tuition, boarding, and transportation required to attend a Summer Youth Program (SYP) at MTU. MTU's Summer Youth Program is a week-long program that provides high school students the opportunity to explore engineering careers in areas such as mechanical, computer, environmental, electrical, and biomedical engineering. As part of the program, students participate in engineering sessions, group projects and have an opportunity to interact with industry role models and a diverse group of peers from around the world.

"It is fantastic to see students at the high school level get this type of opportunity," said Ryan Howell, Hemlock Semiconductor Human Resources Manager. "The Summer Youth Program is a rare chance for students to immerse themselves in STEM technology and see if it is truly an area they want to build a career on."

"A high school program like this sparked my interest to pursue a career in engineering," said Sherrie Fritze-Harris, HIMS Site Manager. "Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor are proud to sponsor a program to help students ignite an interest in STEM education."

After successful completion of the program at MTU, students will have the opportunity to attend a Professional Development Day at the HIMS and Hemlock Semiconductor sites, as well as sign-up for mock interviews with college interviewers.

About Hemlock Semiconductor Group
Hemlock Semiconductor Group (hscpoly.com) consists of several joint venture companies owned by Dow Corning Corporation, Shin-Etsu Handotai and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Hemlock Semiconductor is a leading provider of polycrystalline silicon and other silicon-based products used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and solar cells and modules. Hemlock Semiconductor began its operations in 1961.

Follow Hemlock Semiconductor Group on Twitter: twitter.com/hscpoly

About Dow Corning
Dow Corning (dowcorning.com) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company's Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® brands. Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States. Dow Corning's global operations adhere to the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® initiative, a stringent set of standards designed to advance the safe and secure management of chemical products and processes.

Follow Dow Corning on Twitter: twitter.com/dowcorning
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