One of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering’s (ASCTE) strongest partners is once again showing their support by adding to their investment into the campus.
Leidos, a Fortune 500 digital and mission innovator, announced this week that they are adding $10,000 to their early investment in the school to support one-of-a-kind educational opportunities for students. The funds will go to the ASCTE Foundation, which brings the company’s cumulative giving to $1.025 million.
“Leidos has been part of ASCTE’s story from the very beginning,” said PeggyLee Wright, Executive Director of the ASCTE Foundation. “Their initial commitment helped us build a permanent home for this school, and they have continued to invest in our students in the years since. That kind of sustained partnership makes a real difference in what we are able to offer our students.”
The ASCTE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the ASCTE by securing private investment and building partnerships that expand opportunities for students and advance the school’s mission.
Leidos Senior Vice President Larry Barisciano presented the latest $10,000 investment during an all-school gathering Monday morning at ASCTE. The unrestricted funding will support the Foundation’s work on behalf of the school and its students.
“We supported ASCTE from the beginning because we saw an opportunity to help prepare talented young people for the technical challenges ahead,” said Barisciano. “Five years later, we are proud to continue that relationship and to give ASCTE students opportunities to see firsthand where their skills can take them.”
Leidos was one of ASCTE’s earliest corporate supporters, committing $1 million in 2021 toward construction of the school’s permanent campus. The company later provided an additional $15,000 and has hosted ASCTE students for internships, giving students an opportunity to gain experience in a professional technology environment.
For a school that serves students from communities across Alabama, partnerships like this have an impact well beyond the campus. They help create opportunities for students statewide while building connections between education and the industries that will employ Alabama’s future workforce.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
