$1 Million Bright Minds

The fact is, not everyone takes the same educational and/or career paths. Sometimes, that pays off. Talk to Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates if you don't believe me.Anywhoo, shouts to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for recognizing and rewarding that!PG&E has announced that it is accepting applications from students to receive PG&E Bright Minds™ scholarships, as well as scholarships from the utility’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).Through its Bright Minds Scholarship program, PG&E will award up to $1 million in scholarships to enable high school, community college and “non-traditional” students to complete their higher education paths. Bright Minds scholarship winners will receive full-ride scholarships of up to $30,000 per year; program finalists will receive $2,500 towards their studies. In addition to the scholarship opportunities available through the PG&E Bright Minds program, the PG&E Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are also accepting applications for a wide variety of scholarships.In 2012, PG&E awarded Bright Minds scholarships of up to $30,000 to 100 students throughout Northern and Central California. Scholarship recipients included high school seniors, current college students and adults returning to college. One scholarship recipient from Livermore was a veteran of the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another recipient from Bakersfield had been homeless at one time prior to turning her life around.The PG&E Bright Minds scholarships will be awarded based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement. Eligible students will be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the duration of the 2013-2014 academic year.The deadline to apply for the ERG scholarships is February 1, 2013. More information can be found on the “Scholarship” link at www.pge.com/community.The deadline for applying for the PG&E Bright Minds Scholarship is February 28, 2013. For more information, go here.