NFPA Awards 20 Fluid Power Scholarships in 2026

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.

The following students were awarded a $2,500 Fluid Power Scholarship:

• Alexander Allen, Pennsylvania State University - Lehigh Valley
• Anna Westenhofer, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Bashara Sherif, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Drew Autry, Dartmouth College
• Jack Crowe, Michigan Technological University 
• Jayden Joseph, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Jessica Dennehy, Carnegie Mellon University
• John Holland, Purdue University
• Kacie Cheng, Johns Hopkins University (Raymond Hanley Memorial Award)
• Kenny Nguyen, Coastline Community College
• Logan Lackey, Kansas State University
• Mahek Parvez, Purdue University
• Maryn Shank, Northeastern University
• Maxwell Mamishev, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Sarah Campbell, Maine Maritime Academy
• Trevor Werdel, South Dakota State University
• Zachary Been, California State University, Fresno (Robert Mackey Memorial Award)

Thomas Wanke was a monumental figure in fluid power, active for more than 50 years and influencing generations of fluid power engineers through his work at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, its Fluid Power Institute, and with the National Fluid Power Association. To ensure that his positive impact on fluid power education continues to be felt, the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation administers the Tom Wanke Legacy Fund.

To honor his memory, the following students were selected to receive a $2,500 Tom Wanke Legacy Fund Award:

• Jake Druley, South Dakota State University
• Lucas Hoobler, University of Southern California
• Winston Lin, Georgia Institute of Technology

We want to thank the NFPA Scholarship Review Committee: Bill Haley of FORCE America, BJ Wagner of the International Fluid Power Society, Bob Borowski of Engineering Technology Services, Bradlee Dittmer of IMI Norgren, Caleb Vickers of Power Systems, Inc. of Florida, Daniel Hurst of SKF Group, David Shier of Danfoss Power Solutions, Frank Langro of Festo, Holden Galvan of Permco, Jarrod Sheetz of Motion, Joe Solano of Camozzi Automation, John Jennings of Lexair, Inc., Jonathan Steigerwald of Gates Corporation, Jordan Kopka of Custom Hydraulics and Design, Jose Solorio Cervantes of Parker Hannifin, Kevin Crary of Hydraulic Controls, Inc., Louis Tisch of ROSS Controls, Michael Cook of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Neeraj Singh of Danfoss Power Solutions, Ryan Huang of Endeavor AI, Shanmukh Sarode of Parker Hannifin, Shauna Bard of Danfoss Power Solutions, Shawn Moore of ROSS Controls, Spencer Tiegs of Milwaukee Tool, Stephanie Sayre of Auburn Gear, and Tom Peterson of Husco.

Many of these students will be seeking internships or full-time jobs in the future, so please keep them in mind for your hiring needs. Watch for future NFPA News articles and social media posts, where we will highlight the accomplishments of our 2026 awardees.

If you would like to be a judge for next year’s NFPA scholarship programs, please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com.