Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner – Chandler Folkerts

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation has awarded 20 $2,500 scholarships to students pursuing fluid power related fields of study. One of the winners, Chandler Folkerts, is attending Bates College. We asked Chandler a few questions about winning the scholarship.

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?

I feel as though winning the Fluid Power Scholarship Award affirms my hopes for a future in engineering and fluid power. I plan to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Physics and from a separate school in a dual-degree engineering program, a degree in Chemical Engineering. This award gives me direction and guidance towards a future in researching this specialized field that I look forward to even beyond my undergraduate education.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?

I am interested in fluid power in the context of its utilization in the world’s pursuit of clean energy. I personally am very interested in nuclear energy, and for the smooth running of a nuclear power plant, the engineers involved must have a perfect grasp of fluid power and dynamics. I foresee nuclear energy being a part of a world where our environment is protected and fluid power is a cornerstone in this pursuit.

What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?

My dream is to achieve a PhD in Chemical Engineering. In this pursuit I will need to spend many years of my life invested in any number of specialized topics that relate to my field. I hope to research fluid power in the context of chemical and nuclear engineering, and upon my eventual graduation I hope to work in one of these facilities that uses knowledge of fluid power as a valuable resource.

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 34 judges from 26 NFPA member companies reviewed 241 eligible student applications to the Fluid Power Scholarship program. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com.