CASSOPOLIS — NRTC, a member-owned technology cooperative based in Herndon, Virginia, recently endowed a technology scholarship at Southwestern Michigan College in honor of Midwest Energy and Communications.

NRTC is a key partner behind MEC’s fiber internet project, providing critical support with engineering, construction and materials management, systems development, and business planning. They announced the scholarship in celebration of the successful completion of MEC’s initial five-year southwest Michigan fiber deployment, which resulted in the connection of more than 10,000 rural homes and businesses.

“MEC has emerged as a national leader and pioneer in rural broadband, successfully living out their mission of delivering first-in-class solutions where others won’t,” said Greg Santoro, NRTC Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer. “We’re honored for the trust they placed in NRTC to be part of this important endeavor, and thrilled to recognize their efforts with this scholarship.”

The Midwest Energy and Communications Technology Scholarship will be presented annually beginning in the fall of 2021 to an MEC customer studying telecommunications, engineering, computer science or another technology-related field at SMC. SMC is a community college based in Dowagiac and is served by MEC for both electricity and fiber internet.

“We are very thankful to our community partner, Midwest Energy and Communications, for their generous support of our technology students at Southwestern Michigan College. Midwest has been a great partner for SMC, hiring many of our students when they complete their degrees. Supporting students at the beginning of their programs is just another wonderful contribution to our students’ lives and future careers. Many of our students could not attend college without financial support, therefore this is an incredibly generous gift, literally helping generations of students in the future,” said Stacy Horner Young, dean of the schools of business and advanced technology.