OWTS Senior Electrical student, Roger Rougeot III has been accepted into the Naugatuck Valley Community College/Northeast Utilities Foundation Scholarship Program.  The program awards tuition, fees, and books for the two years of the Electronic Engineering Technology program.  It also includes a paid internship at CL&P during the summer of 2010.  Roger is one of 15 students chosen out of 45 applicants.

 

“I’m really happy about being chosen,” said Roger recently.  “Mrs. Porto [Guidance Counselor Louise] told me about the scholarship.  We got the application and I had to take an Accu-placer test, which is Math and English.  You need 90% on both the English and Math, so I re-took the test and did real well.  When my dad and I visited the college, Kristen Dagan of NVCC took us on a tour of the Technology wing.  It was really nice and had a lot of new machines.  The whole school is really nice.”

 

Roger’s father, also named Roger, is an instructor in the Electrical Technology shop at OWTS.  He also graduated from Wolcott Tech and got his associates degree in Electrical Engineering at Waterbury State College, which is now NVCC.  “The whole family was excited that Roger was awarded the scholarship and that he would have the opportunity to follow in my footsteps,” said Roger’s dad.  My grandfather was the one that taught me the trade, so Roger is really following along with his great-grandfather.”

 

Roger III says he chose the Electrical shop also “because there are lots of opportunities in the field.  Lot’s of different ways to go.  My Dad did give me lots of help when I needed it, though.  He guided me.”

 

In the fall, Roger will begin the two-year course of study.  “I plan to do well at school, do well at CL&P, then secure a job as a full-time employee.  I may work with my Dad as a part-time helper.  Licensing covers a long period, though.  You need a lot of hours to go from apprentice, to journeyman, to an E-1.”

 

Upon hearing the news, Principal Dan Kushman reflected, “Roger’s outstanding efforts have placed him on the NVCC roster.  The hard work he did each day truly built his future.”