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, James Meggitt, is attending the Iowa State University. We asked James a few questions about winning the scholarship.
What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?
Winning the Fluid Power Scholarship will not only allow me to avoid student debt and loans, but it will also open more opportunities for me as a student and community member. With the generous award offsetting tuition and fees, I could use my time and finances that would have been otherwise spent on college for personal engineering projects to enhance my skills, study abroad programs to widen my horizons, or volunteer opportunities in my community. This freedom, facilitated by the NFPA, will allow me to create community connections and personal experiences, bettering both my own life, and the world around me.
Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
Fluid power is an extremely broad field with nearly endless practical applications, and this property truly peaks my interest. From their integral role in statics and hydraulics to the mind-boggling complexity of fluid dynamics, fluids touch almost every aspect of life. The wide variety of career applications and opportunity for impact makes fluid power an ideal career choice for me.
What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?
I dream of working in the aviation industry as a mechanical or electrical engineer. Making the connection between physical hardware hydraulics/pneumatics and electronic components like solenoids or pumps in a complex situation with many design constraints, like weight restrictions on an aircraft, would be the ideal job for me. I truly cannot wait to continue honing my skills at Iowa State University to pursue this career.
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.
