52 southern Puerto Rico students get scholarships for STEM studies
This is the first scholarship awarded by the Azmat A. Assur Foundation through the Assur Fund, established at the Puerto Rico Community Foundation.
Fifty-two students from southern Puerto Rico pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) received a combined $182,000 in scholarships from the Azmat A. Assur Foundation, established at the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (FCPR).
The scholarships are aimed at students in towns across the region studying associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees in STEM fields, with some recipients being employees or descendants of employees of Peerless Oil & Chemicals Inc.
“The Azmat A. Assur Foundation was founded by Ann Marie Assur in 2022 following the passing of Mr. Assur,” said Robert Finnerty, vice chairman of the foundation.
“He owned Peerless Oil & Chemicals Inc. and developed the business in Puerto Rico for more than 30 years. Assur always claimed that the business was created on the island and that the profits should also remain on the island,” Finnerty said.
“We believe that the best way to follow his vision is by investing in Puerto Rican students and their education. We are very excited to see these students continue their studies with our support,” he said.
Established in 2023, the Assur Fund encourages students to major in STEM subjects, supporting careers in fields such as engineering, veterinary technology, biomedical sciences, psychology, accounting, information systems, medicine and optometry.
“This scholarship grant increases Puerto Rico’s human capital and encourages each student to pursue their dreams. Assur Foundation has an extraordinary commitment to the professional development of our students, so it has been an honor to be able to facilitate the scholarship granting process,” said FCPR President Nelson I. Colón.
The FCPR administers 97 funds, of which 39 provide scholarships and the rest are for donations to nonprofit organizations. In 2023, FCPR awarded 324 scholarships totaling $673,092 and made 76 donations to nonprofits, representing $1.6 million in philanthropic investment.
