Taft College student Jenkins exemplifies impact of Hutchison Engineering Promise Program

Liam stated that the HEPP was a wonderful experience that allowed him to be part of a cohort of students with a common goal of becoming an engineer. The specialized tutoring, counseling, and mentoring contributed to his success, including a 3.4 GPA at TC. Liam loves the small class sizes, which allow for personal connections with professors, significantly improving the educational process. He said the HEPP scholarship paid all his costs to go to school and allowed him the freedom to concentrate on his classes.

Liam is graduating from Taft College on May 19 with an A.S. degree in engineering. He recently found out he has been accepted to UC Riverside, where he will pursue a B.S. degree in biomedical engineering. Liam is just one shining example of how the Hutchison family and Taft College have helped students succeed and become engineers. And thanks to the Bank of America grant to Taft College, Liam will partake in a six-week student internship this summer at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.

Well done, Liam — somewhere, Stanley and Madalyn Hutchison are smiling!

The Hutchison Engineering Promise Program at Taft College was established in 2018 by Madalyn Hutchison in memory of her husband of 38 years, Stanley Hutchison. Stanley was born in Kansas and grew up in Missouri. Madalyn was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Both grew up during the Great Depression and have a strong recollection of their parents working hard to simply put food on the table.

After high school, Stanley worked at the Solar Aircraft factory as an inspector but wanted to fly, so he enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II. As a pilot with the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, Stanley flew missions over Africa, Romania and the entire European Theater, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal four times, the Presidential Unit Citation twice and numerous other personal decorations.

After the war, Stanley was able to study petroleum engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Immediately after graduation, Stanley began a long and productive career with Standard Oil, which later became Chevron. Through his work at Chevron, Stanley is credited with more than 75 successful patents and over 130 published technical papers.

After high school, Madalyn went to work for an oil company in Pennsylvania. Through the years she moved up and came to California and worked for and later retired from Standard Oil - Chevron.

The later years of their careers were based on their work and home location, Kern County. From there they traveled the world, as needed, to Chevron’s domestic and international locations, instructing and implementing many of Stanley’s patents on Chevron’s behalf.

As per Stanley and Madalyn’s wishes, these scholarship funds were created to honor Stanley’s strong work ethic and many accomplishments by providing financial aid for students in the Taft College engineering program. Each scholarship is a renewable award, designed to fill students’ funding gaps and allow them, to every possible extent, to transfer out debt-free.

Are you interested in more information? Call us at 661-763-7936.

Sheri Horn-Bunk is Taft College's executive director for institutional advancement and the Taft College Foundation.