Two Stevens Students Awarded Prestigious Scholarship

As technology rapidly transforms how businesses operate, Stevens Institute of Technology is at the forefront of preparing students to meet the demands of our digital world.

Camila Crespo, a business and technology major, and Nataly Jimenez-Cruz, a computer science major, are two exceptional examples of this. The pair were recently awarded scholarships from the CME Group Foundation. The scholarship program focuses on supporting college sophomores, juniors and seniors from historically underserved backgrounds majoring in finance, technology or applied mathematics with a renewable scholarship of up to $20,000 per year to assist them in completing their degree.

An Aligned Mission

The CME Group Foundation was established by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Trust, the largest foundation exchange in the world and a prime example of a key financial institution that successfully navigated a shifting industry. Committed to empowering today’s students through an education that will help them to meet tomorrow’s challenges, the Foundation’s mission is aligned with Stevens’ own.

This partnership began in 2017 through the Hanlon Financial Systems Center’s SHiFT project. As the relationship developed and the Foundation launched its scholarship program in 2019 focused on finance and tech, Stevens was a natural partner to join a small group of partner organizations and is notably the only partner [BG1] institution outside the Chicago metro area to be involved.

Since the launch of the scholarship, more than $3 million in aid has been awarded to 87 talented college students.

Pursuing Dreams

The aid students receive from the scholarship helps recipients like Camila and Nataly focus on pursuing their studies and dreams.

“It has relieved the financial burden that often comes along with pursuing post-secondary education and has given me the opportunity to graduate debt-free,” explains Camila.

In addition to the financial aid, she also has built a professional network within the Foundation, offering her mentorship and support as she works on her degree. “It has given me the confidence to achieve success in my career and grow as a person,” she says.

For Nataly, the scholarship is also eroding financial constraints and allowing her to focus on becoming a machine learning engineer who uses technology to help others. “As a first-generation American, this scholarship has reminded me that my hard work is recognized.”