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TechConnect WV to administer new Mary Anne Ketelsen STEM scholarship

Release from TechConnect WV:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Mary Anne Ketelsen, a successful West Virginia entrepreneur and philanthropist, has donated funds to TechConnect West Virginia to establish a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) scholarship program to benefit Mountain State women seeking higher education degrees that prepare them to advance or enter the West Virginia oil and natural gas industry.

Mary Anne, keynote speaker at a recent TechConnect Women in Technology conference, also seeks to honor the memory of her mother, Mary “Mickey” Welch, a philanthropist and oil and gas industry leader.

Mary Anne Ketelsen is president and CEO of Parkersburg’s Mister Bee Potato Chips, a growing small, woman-owned business in a HubZone. She was recognized both as a Distinguished West Virginian by the Governor of West Virginia and a “Wonder Woman” by West Virginia Living magazine in 2020. Mary Anne is a graduate of both West Virginia University at Parkersburg and Glenville State University.

In 2021, the scholarship program has $22,500 available for distribution to qualified female candidates. Recipients will receive a non-renewable award of either $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000. Current applicants must plan to attend institutions of higher learning in 2021 or 2022.  

Eligible candidates are:

  • graduating high school seniors with at least a 3.0 grade point average
  • current higher education students in either community/technical colleges or four-year institutions with at least a 3.0 grade point average;
  • working adult professionals interested in advancing their careers;
  • West Virginia resident students attending institutions of higher education in West Virginia or located in an adjoining state (KY, MD, OH, PA or VA); and
  • those students willing to commit to work in West Virginia for the first two years of their careers.

Applicants must provide the following information electronically in one package of materials sent to [email protected]. Failure to include all information will result in disqualification.

  • The completed scholarship application form below.
  • A typewritten letter from the applicant (no more than two pages on 8 ½ by 11 inch paper) outlining why she is applying for this financial aid and what aspect of the oil and natural gas industry meets her career ambitions.
  • Three letters of recommendation from persons who are not members of the applicant’s family.
  • Applicant’s high school transcript if the applicant is a high school senior.
  • Applicant’s college transcript if the applicant is currently attending college or is a working professional.
  • Completed, signed copy of the Financial Aid Form (FAFSA) if the applicant has applied.
  • A letter of acceptance from the college/university of the applicant’s choice or  documentation indicating where she has applied.

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