Optimus Steel and the Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship
At Optimus Steel we believe the future is built through actions able to transform lives, such as the opportunity to study and develop a professional career.
For 2022 we were happy to award the Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship for a second year, to young dependents of active Optimus Steel employees. This year we expanded the applications to include the grandchildren of our employees.
What is The Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship?
This scholarship is in memory of the late Thaddeus “Thad” Boudreaux (1954-2020), an outstanding citizen of Beaumont who worked at our mill for almost 44 years and served in various roles, the last being Technical Services Manager. He was a trusted friend and colleague who touched our lives and will forever be in our hearts.
Thad was a generous man who always looked for ways to support and contribute to his community and our mill. Today, the scholarship is in his memory and is managed by the International Scholarship and Tuition Services (ISTS), a 100% women-owned corporation founded in 1985.
Before this year’s opening of the application process, Thad’s eldest son, Aaron Boudreaux, wrote a letter encouraging our employees to have their children and grandchildren apply, particularly from our hourly team members. The applications were so strong we decided to add another scholarship, so now we are up to four every year and three of the four winners for 2022 were children of our hourly team members. We could not be happier about this fact as our team members are the backbone of our company. It is also worth noting the overall applications increased by 50%. Aaron’s letter was very successful. Thank you, Aaron!
Through this scholarship, talented children and grandchildren of our employees obtain additional support and encouragement to further their studies and create a better future for themselves. We are humbled to be able to offer this program now, and for years to come. Please congratulate our winners who will be formally presented the scholarship on July 14th at our mill.
Who are the talented winners this year?
2022 winners:
| Student | Parent or Grandparent | Work Area |
| Pablo Arredondo | Miguel Arredondo | Rolling Mill |
| Aleigha Raymer | Travis Windham | Q.A. Inspector |
| Gracie Smith | Steven Smith | Melt Shop Mechanical Maintenance |
| Frank Relford | Frank Relford Jr. | Reheat Furnace Operator |
A reminder of our winners for the inaugural year of 2021:
2021 winners
| Student | Parent or Grandparent | Work Area |
| Pablo Arredondo | Miguel Arredondo | Rolling Mill |
| Carly D. Lively | Travis Windham | Miles Stone |
| Dagan H. Lott | Josh Herron | IT Field Support Technician |
The Thad Boudreaux Memorial Scholarship, an initiative we hope to grow year after year in memory of a man who positively impacted many lives. We hope this scholarship program will do the same thing. #OurMill #OurCompany