Luis Gonzalez-Gonzalez calls himself a “first-generation everything.” He was the first in his family to not only graduate from high school but to finish elementary school. And he was the first to go to college when he enrolled at Clemson University in Fall 2023. He also has been among the first students to receive the University’s Boeing STEM Tiger Alliance Scholarship, a total-cost award for Black and Latino males entering a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degree field, at the Men of Color National Summit in March 2023.
“I knew something was going on when I was invited to Men of Color, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was,” Luis recalls. “And when I won the Boeing scholarship and was given an opportunity to speak on that stage, it made the Clemson decision for me.”
The scholarship was started just four years ago in 2021 and combines equal funds from Boeing and Clemson to encourage young men of color to pursue STEM degrees. At the 2024 Men of Color National Summit, the Boeing scholarship was awarded to Tiger Alliance student Sinceare Jackson of Southside High School in Greenville. He is a first-generation student who plans to study engineering at Clemson.
After last year’s Summit, Luis enrolled at Clemson, also in general engineering, and for the past eight months, he has been taking those introductory classes along with the rest of his first-year cohort. His next steps include focusing on mechanical engineering this Fall and, eventually, a career in aeronautical engineering.
His journey continues as a new one begins with Sinceare.
Finding first-year success
Luis has had his fair share of adjustments in his first year at Clemson. He’s made those with the help of supportive professors and by taking advantage of the benefits of a generous…
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