The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation has awarded 20 $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing fluid power related fields of study. One of the winners, Evan Garner, is attending The Ohio State University. We asked Evan a few questions about winning the scholarship.
What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?
Winning this scholarship is a big honor and helps me pursue my academic goals. Not only that, it made me explore more fluid power systems and discover new ways to implement them into my projects and industrial applications.
Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
Fluid power is a very useful mechanical principal that is heavily used in manufacturing, assembly lines and heavy machinery – which basically runs our country.
What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?
Through engineering and innovation, I aspire to revolutionize frames and components used to build mountain bikes. As bicycles transition towards integrated systems, the need for zero-loss quick connections to service bikes becomes increasingly apparent. Fluid power holds promise in revolutionizing the industry, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by inaccessible hydraulic hoses.
A minimum GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0, 500-word essay, and letter of recommendation were required from each applicant. The NFPA Foundation’s goal is to help graduating high school students, and individuals enrolled in community colleges, technical schools and universities pursue their academic interests in fluid power.
One way NFPA members can get involved with scholarship programs is to volunteer as a judge to serve on the application review committee. This year 27 judges from 19 NFPA member companies reviewed 122 eligible student applications to the Fluid Power Scholarship program. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com.
