Oshkosh teen wins $40,000 Amazon scholarship and internship

OSHKOSH – A teenager's future looks pretty bright.

Riley Jerger could be looking at a potential career at one of the country's most recognizable brands after securing a $40,000 Amazon Future Engineer scholarship and a paid internship with the tech giant.

A graduate of Lourdes Academy, Jerger, 18, is just one of two students from Wisconsin and among 400 other students nationwide to receive this prestigious scholarship.

“I've always been interested in engineering, but to receive something like this is always shocking because it's such a large scholarship,” Jerger said at Northwestern.

“I'm very excited about this opportunity with Amazon because the company is so large with a diverse background, which gives me so much more opportunity to learn and grow.”

According to an Amazon press release, recipients were chosen based on various criteria, including academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, participation in school and community activities, professional experience, future goals and financial need.

The scholarship gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience through mentorship from Amazon executives.

Each scholarship recipient will also benefit from skills development, access to an emergency grant fund in the event of unforeseen financial obligations, and networking opportunities with Amazon employees.

And while this opportunity may have been a welcome surprise to Jerger's parents, his penchant for engineering certainly wasn't.

Riley's father, Matt, says he has been working on cars since he was 5 years old.

Riley's father, Matt, remembers his son showing great interest in understanding how things worked from the age of 5.

“He always helped fix cars and he even took out the dishwasher because he just wanted to know how things worked and why they worked,” his father said.

“From that perspective, he has always been fascinated by STEM subjects, so we are very excited that he will win this scholarship and consider a path in mechanical engineering.”

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As an intern, Riley will have the chance to work on software or hardware engineering teams with managers and technical mentors on projects that directly impact Amazon customers.

Interns will also work on core platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Seller Logistics, and the Amazon Retail Platform.

But before that happens, Riley will have to choose between attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Michigan Tech, where he plans to pursue mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering.

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“My grandfather was a pilot and he really loved airplanes, and my dad always had me work with him on car projects and stuff like that, so that’s what I love,” said Riley.

“My life is about getting my hands dirty.”

Applications for the next round of Amazon Future Engineer Fellowships will open in the fall and can be found at https://www.amazonfutureengineer.com.

Do you have a tip or public interest concern? Contact Justin Marville at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh teen lands Amazon Future Engineer scholarship and internship