A recent $100,000 gift to The Ohio State University from Honda will fund as many as 20 new scholarships over three years to help students achieve their dreams of becoming Buckeye engineers.

The first five engineering students to receive the scholarships are Regina Akrong-Lamptey, Isaiah Hamilton, Bethany Massenburg-Jackson, Belquis Mbayu and Elijah Thomas.

A first-generation American from Cincinnati, Akrong-Lamptey is an electrical and computer engineering major. She enjoys math, physics, and understanding and working with the inner parts of devices that cause advancements in society. Her career aspirations include working with electric and autonomous cars.

Hamilton is a second year electrical and computer engineering major from Cleveland Heights, Ohio. In high school he participated in Project Lead the Way engineering courses, which ignited his interest in the field. In his future career, he would like to apply his knowledge and skills to robotics or electrification.

Massenburg-Jackson is a sophomore electrical engineering major from Glenn Dale, Maryland. She began participating in the National Society of Black Engineers Jr. program in the fourth grade and held various leadership positions, including president. She has interned at the MITRE Corp., the Naval Research Laboratory and most recently at Honda.

A Cameroonian American, Mbayu is a second-year mechanical engineering major from Prince George’s County, Maryland. Having participated in various STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs throughout her childhood, she finds the field of robotics interesting. Her career aspirations involve building assistive robotics for either the automotive industry or the medical industry.

A native of Amelia, Ohio, near Cincinnati, Thomas is a sophomore majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He graduated in the top 10% of his class and was captain of his varsity football team. He is currently a part of the Morrill Scholars, STEM Scholars and National Society of Black Engineers. He is interested in a career solving problems in manufacturing.

Supporting diversity in both the college and field of engineering, the $5,000 Honda Dreams Scholarships are awarded to students majoring in electrical and computer engineering, industrial and systems engineering, or mechanical engineering who are active in the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers or organizations with similar missions. The scholarships are renewable for up to three years, provided students maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA.

This new scholarship builds on the long-standing Honda – Ohio State Partnership, which provides scholarships for up to 120 undergraduates annually. Honda Dreams Scholarship recipients also will have the opportunity to develop relationships with Honda staff, apply for internships and co-ops, and get involved with collaborative projects at Honda and Ohio State.