AKRON, Ohio, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nine high school students were awarded college scholarships and another 56 shared in grants for their schools at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's 17^th Annual STEM Career Day. The scholarships and grants totaled $52,000.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) issued a $17,000 challenge to students in grades 6 through 12 – to create the most deliberately over-engineered contraption (in the spirit of Rube Goldberg) to "tag" the Goodyear name or logo on any surface. Twenty-eight teams, totaling 264 students from across northeast Ohio, accepted the call. 

In addition to exploring the campus, students interacted with representatives from more than 40 local organizations, who hosted hands-on STEM-based activities throughout the day. Students were also offered speed mentoring sessions to network with professionals from a variety of industries and STEM disciplines on next steps for pursuing a career in STEM.

The following high schools won grants via the Rube Goldberg™ Machine Challenge:

• First place, receiving $1,000 and a tour of Goodyear's Global HQ was Virtus Academy of Valley View, Ohio.
• Second place and Goodyear Associate Favorite, receiving $1,000 was Copley High School Team 1 of Copley, Ohio.
• Third place, receiving $500 was Union Lake High School of Uniontown, Ohio.

The following middle schools won grants via the Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge:

• First place and Goodyear Associate Favorite, receiving $4,000, as well as a tour of Goodyear's Global HQ, was Catalyst Academy of Macedonia, Ohio.
• Second place, receiving $3,000 was Buckeye Junior High Team A of Medina, Ohio.
• Third place, receiving $1,500 was Edison Middle School of Massillon, Ohio.

The following students were recipients of Goodyear scholarships to the university of their choice:

• Sunny Levine of Medina High School, Medina, Ohio, provided by the Fostering Young Women in Excellence Scholarship Fund, presented by their President, Erika Sheeler.
• Bryan Borodkin of St. Vincent- St. Mary High School, Medina, Ohio.
• Colin Theis of Buckeye High School, Medina, Ohio.
• Raina Rotondo of Green High School, Green, Ohio.

The following students accepted 2-year, $5,000 Goodyear/The University of Akron scholarships to study engineering, presented by Dr. Don P. Visco, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, College of Engineering:

• Madilyn Willis of Southeast High School, Diamond, Ohio.
• John Rasper of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Stow, Ohio.
• Ken Gregg of Jackson High School, Canton, Ohio.
• Julia Mattingly of Theodore Roosevelt High School, Kent, Ohio.

Anna De Biasi of Plymouth High School, drove with her family to STEM Career Day all the way from Plymouth, Michigan to accept a 2-year, $5,000 Goodyear/Cleveland State University scholarship to study engineering. De Biasi was presented with the scholarship by Gregg Schoof, Manager, Engineering Student Programs, Cleveland State University.

To learn more about Goodyear's STEM Career Day, please visit www.goodyear.com/careerday.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies.  It employs approximately 66,000 people and manufactures its products in 49 facilities in 22 countries around the world.  Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear or its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company