April 22, 2024 | Fort Smith Public Schools proudly announces that Southside seniors Clair Merry and Kenneth “Aiden” Yandell have been named recipients of the prestigious Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, each receiving $40,000 over four years to pursue their higher education goals.

Clair plans to study Information Technology: Programming, Database, and Web at Arkansas Tech University. Aiden will pursue software engineering at the University of California Irvine. Additionally, both students will receive a paid internship following their freshman year, providing them with invaluable hands-on, practical work experience and mentorship from industry leaders. 

Their SHS Computer Science teacher, Gina Lewis, expressed her excitement, saying, “I have known these two students for many years, and it is amazing to see their hard work and dedication recognized and rewarded. Pursuing higher education is expensive, and I am thrilled that Amazon saw their potential. Having two students from Southside win in the same year is phenomenal. We are all truly honored!”