Driving the news: As a founding donor of the Semiconductor Pathways Fund, Lam Research is taking action to ensure promising STEM students can complete their degrees and power the next generation of innovation. The Fund is the first national effort dedicated to college and technical school students in STEM who aspire to careers in the semiconductor industry.
Why it matters: Many promising students run out of resources just before graduation, the “last mile” that can stop their progress cold. Last Mile Education Fund fills that gap with fast, flexible support so students can complete their degrees in high-demand technology fields.
- “We believe fostering future semiconductor talent is vital to supporting the U.S. innovation economy,” says Steve Fine, Lam’s Chief Communications Officer. “We are proud to team up with the Last Mile Fund to support students working to complete degrees in critical competencies, and aid them on their path to exciting future careers in the semiconductor industry.”
How it works: Unlike traditional scholarships, Last Mile invests in potential, not past performance. It meets students where they are, in real time, helping them stay enrolled, graduate, and enter the workforce ready to contribute.
Why Lam? For Lam, the partnership reflects our Transformative Learning focus and our commitment to building a more inclusive, sustainable innovation ecosystem. By helping students reach their full potential, we’re strengthening the pipeline of future engineers, problem-solvers, and technologists who will shape what’s next.
What they’re saying: “Last Mile’s Semiconductor Pathways Fund is about more than financial support — it’s about belief,” says Christie Valdez, director of global social impact. “When we invest in students’ potential, we strengthen the innovation pipeline that drives our company and our industry to enable breakthroughs that advance the world.”
Bottom line: Supporting the Last Mile means investing in people. That’s how Lam keeps moving innovation—and opportunity—forward.