Warren Graduate Awarded Scholarship

Marietta Times. A Washington County native is one of several higher education students statewide who were recently awarded a scholarship through The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Foundation.The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) awarded $1,000 scholarships to 36 students across 17 counties in Ohio who are pursuing careers in the oil and natural gas industries.Jobs in the oil and natural gas industry range from engineers to technicians and safety specialists.“The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Foundation has helped hundreds of Ohioans further their education,” said George Brown, the program’s executive director. “These scholarship recipients are a prominent group of students, and we are excited to see the contributions they will make to the industry and our state.”Victoria DeFreitas is from Belpre and is a 2021 graduate of Warren High School. She plans to attend the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, Ohio.DeFreitas fell in love with welding through her exposure to her stepfather, who is a steel worker in Marietta. In high school, she earned multiple certifications through the Washington County Career Center.“I am actually going to be a certified welding engineer,” DeFreitas said. “It’s a blessing and it feels amazing … I didn’t think I would be going this far with this career … I hope to one day inspire women around the world to work in a man’s career field.”Since 2007, the OOGEEP has awarded over half a million dollars in scholarships to over 300 students who desire to enter the industry.DeFreitas’ other passions included her participation in softball at Warren, as well as rodeo and raising animals for Washington County 4-H on her family farm. She was the president of Future Farmers of America (FFA) at Warren.Click here to view the original article.