Chevron announced a donation of $1.5 million to schools in Kern County at the Bakersfield College Science and Engineering quad during Engineer’s Week on Feb. 21.

“Chevron’s goal is to engage students, and have them understand that careers in engineering, science, and math are tangible and easy to get,” said Adam Alvidrez Government and Public Affairs representative of Chevron.

The $1.5 million donated by Chevron is going to help students by giving them the opportunity to experience science and math hands-on.

Out of the $1.5 million being donated, BC is going to receive $100,000 to support the development of the STEM Education/Workforce Development Initiative.

This money is also used for scholarships that are designed to help students achieve their goals.

The donation will support academic scholarships, Mesa Week Zero, Peer Mentoring, Electro-Mechanical Program support and help students achieve their goals in the careers they prepare for in Kern County area middle schools, high schools and community colleges.

Travis Burns, 28, electrical engineer major, who received the Chevron scholarship last year, said it helped him reach his goal by helping him “pay for textbooks, because textbooks are so expensive.”

Burns wants to be an electrical engineer.

Burn’s ultimate career would be “to create more accessible means for electricity so people get more electricity and pay less,” he said.

Chevron is looking for people who have goals like this to invest in, and to also teach young students about careers that are available to them.

There were many other speakers.

One of them was Horace Mitchell, president of Cal State Bakersfield, who feels that, regarding math and science, “as a nation we are falling behind.In fact, we have fallen behind and now it’s catch up mode and Chevron is making it possible. The way that you learn science is not by reading, but by doing.”