Aiken Times

For more information contact: USC Aiken News (803) 641-3738, news@usca.edu

Aiken, SC (04/22/2022) — A generous donor, Josh Seigler, recently established the Miguel Pereyo Memorial Scholarship for Engineering at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken).

The scholarship will be awarded by USC Aiken's Scholarship Committee to a full or part-time student majoring in either industrial or mechanical engineering with a GPA of at least 2.75. Priority will be given to first-generation students and students that have served or are serving in the armed forces. This scholarship will be renewable if the recipient maintains the award's criteria.

Seigler established this scholarship in honor of his wife's late grandfather, Miguel Pereyo.

Pereyo was a friend, grandfather, and mentor to Seigler and helped him through his first two years studying electrical engineering at USC Aiken. As a first-generation college student, Seigler often turned to Pereyo for guidance and knowledge when he needed it most. "I would often ask him for advice, and he always had a great and fascinating story for every occasion," Seigler said.

When he transferred to USC Columbia to finish his four-year degree, Seigler found himself working two part-time jobs in addition to his studies to make ends meet. When Pereyo saw him struggling to balance the demands of work and school, something many students can relate to, he offered to reduce some of Seigler's stress by paying part of his tuition. When Seigler got his first job out of college, he offered to pay Pereyo back, but Pereyo declined to accept. "I asked him more than once how I could repay him, and his answer was always the same - just help someone else one day; that will be enough," Seigler said.

Pereyo passed away on February 12, 2022, but the impact he had on Seigler's life and the lives of many others will live on through this scholarship established to provide financial assistance to first-generation engineering students.

In addition to helping those in need and providing mentorship to people from all walks of life, Pereyo served in the United States Army during the Korean war. He used the leadership skills he gained from his time in the military to serve as director of global operations for Thermal Ceramics and president of Thermal Ceramics Americas. Pereyo was also an active member of Rotary International, focusing on global initiatives.

Original source can be found here.