Published March 17, 2010<\/SPAN> A Hanford contractor is donating $175,000 over five years to pay for student scholarships at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.<\/P> Mission Support Alliance, or MSA, which provides support services for the Hanford nuclear reservation, announced the donation this morning.<\/P> “Education is critical. It is the gateway to opportunity in this country,” said Frank Figueroa, MSA president and general manager. “By (making the donation) we feel like we\u0092re doing our part.”<\/P> The bulk of the money \u0097 $100,000 \u0097 will be used to pay for scholarships for children and other dependents of MSA employees. Twenty scholarships in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded each year.<\/P> Another portion of the money will pay for a co-op program in which CBC students will be hired to work for MSA during the summer and school year. The students will gain valuable job experience, while at the same time the local workforce will be built up, Figueroa said.<\/P> MSA also is contributing $37,500 to the college’s general scholarship fund.<\/P> “CBC is pleased to work with MSA and receive these funds to develop a workforce for the future,” said Rich Cummins, the college’s president.<\/P>
By the Tri-City Herald staff<\/P>