ESD Establishes Scholarship To Honor Josaitis

In honor of Focus: HOPE's co-founder Eleanor Josaitis, recipient of The Engineering Society of Detroit's 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, ESD and its Institute will establish the Eleanor Josaitis Engineering Hope Scholarship.

The scholarship will be given once a year in her honor to a Focus: HOPE student, who will be pursuing a college degree in engineering or a related field.

Applicants will be judged based on community involvement and volunteer work, past achievements, grade point average, and communication skills.

"Ms. Josaitis inspired our community to value engineering and technology," said Darlene Trudell, ESD executive vice president. "She understood the importance of innovation for a thriving economy and The Engineering Society of Detroit and its Institute are truly appreciative of her efforts in motivating young people to be the next generation of engineers."

Also, in recognition of all that Focus: HOPE and Josaitis have done to nurture students' interest in engineering and encourage them to pursue careers in that field through initiatives such as The Center for Advanced Technologies, ESD and ESDI will offer Focus: HOPE's students the opportunity to attend ESD-offered training programs free of charge, and offer free memberships to all students who apply.

This initiative will provide CAT students an additional opportunity to receive more training in their chosen careers, as well as network with ESD's 6,000-plus members, who make up some of Michigan's Who's Who in engineering, construction and technology.

Finally, ESD will ask its members to donate their "gently-used" suits in an effort to provide Focus: HOPE students with added tools to succeed in the workplace.

Information about the Eleanor Josaitis Engineering Hope Scholarship, please visit www.esd.org or contact Sue Ruffner at (248) 353-0735, ext. 117 or sruffner@esd.org for more information.

More at www.esd.org.