(BALTIMORE – November 9, 2022) — Constellation recently awarded academic scholarships to four students pursuing college degrees in the energy industry in honor of pioneering executive Cordell Reed. The Cordell Reed Trailblazer Scholarship is named for Reed, who was the company’s first Black Chief Nuclear Officer and an influential role model for individuals of color throughout his career. The $5,000 scholarships celebrate Reed’s legacy by creating opportunities for young minority students in the communities Constellation serves.
This year’s recipients of the Cordell Reed Trailblazer Scholarship are:
- Gideon Boadu of Baltimore, who is attending Howard University in Washington D.C. Gideon is majoring in chemical engineering.
- Demetrius Bosket of Philadelphia, who is attending his hometown Drexel University. Demetrius is majoring in electrical & computer engineering.
- Ayomide Fasogbon of Chicago, who is attending the city’s North Park University. Ayomide is majoring in mechanical engineering.
- David Salgado of Chicago, who is attending Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Ill. David is majoring in cyber security.
Cordell Reed was born in Chicago on March 26, 1938, in a south-side housing project. He earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before embarking on a successful career. Reed held numerous positions of increasing importance in the company and became an executive in 1975, acting as a public spokesman for the Illinois nuclear plants. Reed was later promoted to senior vice president and served as the company’s ethics and chief diversity officer before retiring in 1997. He also served on the boards of numerous non-profits and was a generous contributor to many philanthropic causes. Reed passed away on Dec. 4, 2017.
Four Cordell Reed scholarships – two trade school and two traditional college – each in the amount of $5,000 are awarded each year. The Cordell Reed scholarships are open to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students who are pursuing engineering, technical, or energy-related studies and live in one of four states that are home to Constellation nuclear plants: Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Constellation has a strong track record of powering communities by making an impact across a range of fronts in the communities it serves and where its employees live and work. Constellation’s employees have shown incredible leadership in giving back, and the company is committed to encouraging this culture in current and future employees.