EMU Today

YPSILANTI — Global esports organization Gen.G today announced the first class of recipients for its Gen.G Foundation scholarship, including Eastern Michigan University freshman Joaquin Pizana of Adrian, Mich.

Pizana is one of 11 college students from around the country that were chosen to receive the scholarship, which focuses on supporting women, people of color, and low-income students enrolled in a U.S. university or college who are interested in gaming, esports, entrepreneurship, journalism or content creation.

Each student chosen will receive $10,000 to subsidize their tuition for this academic year, and will be a part of Gen.G’s ongoing programming in 2021 for mentorship and career development.

“The first-ever scholarship class is a special group of talented individuals who will be change agents in the gaming world in the years to come,” said Gina Chung Lee, VP of Brand at Gen.G. “This is only the beginning for Gen.G as we look forward to continuing to build out a diverse and supportive network of students who are not only passionate about gaming and the digital world but can also envision a fruitful career in the industry.”

Other recipients (with hometowns) include: 

●      Tyler Blake (Salinas, Calif.) - Cal State University, Long Beach

●      Jaya Deeliore (Saint Louis, Mo.) - Saint Mary’s College/Saint Louis University 

●      Madison Doss (McDonough, Ga.) - Spelman College

●      Nathan Harris (Overland Park, Kans.) - Arizona State University 

●      Kristina Huang (Stockton, Calif.) - UCLA 

●      Jordan Mendoza (Glendora, Calif.) - Cal State University, Northridge

●      Prem Patel (Russell Springs, Ky.) - University of Kentucky 

●      Madison Sellers (Salt Lake City, Ut.) - University of Utah 

●      Clayton Sinclair (Atlanta, Ga) - Univ. of California, Irvine

●      Deanna Tran (Fort Smith, Ark.) - Univ. of Arkansas at Fayetteville 

“I was introduced to competitive esports a long time ago, and it sparked my interest immediately,” said Pizana. “There are so many different communities that have inspired me to want to branch out in the esports world, and I’ve loved everything esports ever since. I am so incredibly thankful for this opportunity.”

Pizana is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at EMU and hopes to one day do media design or work in marketing, specifically creating graphics, logos, etc.

For more information about the Gen 10 scholarship fund, visit www.geng.gg.

Visit the EMU esports homepage for more information on the program.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 16,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.

About Gen.G

Established in 2017, Gen.G is the only major organization that owns and operates top teams in South Korea, the United States, and China. Ranked no. 6 in the inaugural Forbes list of the “World's Most Valuable Esports Companies,” Gen.G's core mission is to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition. The company has quickly become a commercial and thought leader, building a global, inclusive and cross-cultural future for sports entertainment.

United under #TigerNation, Gen.G boasts seven global championships to date among their competitive teams which includes the Seoul Dynasty franchise of the Overwatch League, the LCK world champion team in South Korea, the world's top all-female Fortnite team, PUBG, CS:GO, Valorant and the NBA 2K League's historic expansion franchise in Shanghai.  Its widely acclaimed initiatives include #TeamBumble, the leading team platform for the empowerment of women in gaming, and the Gen.G Elite Esports Academy, the world's first fully-integrated academic esports program in Seoul. More information about Gen.G esports and its teams can be found at this link.