American Water Announces Recipients of 2022 James LaFrankie Scholarship Awards

American Water Honors 9 Students Nationwide for Scholastic Achievement

CAMDEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Water (NYSE: AWK), the nation’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, today announced recipients of the 30^th Annual James V. LaFrankie Scholarship Awards. The awards were distributed nationwide to seven college-bound children of full-time American Water employees who demonstrate an interest in science and water-related industry occupational fields.

Out of 68 submitted applications, an independent, third-party organization selected nine of the high school seniors based on their outstanding high school records, academic honors, participation in extracurricular activities and teacher recommendations. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded for one year and may be renewed for up to three years based on the student’s academic progress.

“American Water is proud to award these scholarships to such exceptional students who achieved the highest academic standards and also have an interest in science and water-related industry fields,” said Melanie Kennedy, Chief Human Resources Officer. “We congratulate all of our recipients and are excited to help them pursue their bright futures.”

The scholarship award recipients include:

• Timothy Amiri, son of Neil Amiri, Manager, Automation and Controls, Missouri American Water
• Zaviay Bashay, son of Philip Torino, Senior Utility Specialist, New Jersey American Water
• Caleb Carlson, son of Jody Carlson, Senior Manager, Operations-NW Missouri, Missouri American Water
• Kayla DiMenna, daughter Lynda DiMenna, Vice President, Chief Environmental and Safety Officer, American Water
• Eric Liu, son of Yanjin Liu, Senior Planning Engineer, American Water
• Olivia Makatura, daughter of Thomas Makatura, Field Service Representative, Indiana American Water
• Ruthie Seals, daughter of Michael Seals, Senior Engineering Project Manager, Indiana American Water
• Kanita Sivananthan, daughter of Sivananthan Perumalraj, Principal Solution Engineer, American Water.
• Bladen Williams, son of Christopher Williams, Utility Technician, Virginia American Water

The American Water Board of Directors established the scholarship program in 1991 in honor of former American Water president, James LaFrankie, who demonstrated the value he placed on college education by earning a degree at Georgetown University night school while working days at the Alexandria Virginia Water Company, now known as Virginia American Water. After that, LaFrankie excelled, climbing the ladder to increasingly responsible positions over his 44-year career with American Water, retiring as the company’s president in 1991.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs approximately 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to an estimated 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.