The impact of BBE scholarships on students

 Seven students from each major track talk about the impact of BBE scholarships on their education, and how the program has shaped their experiences.

What are you most looking forward to doing with the knowledge and experience gained in this program once you have completed your degree?

I am excited to combine my love for outdoor recreation and my knowledge of sustainability for businesses and help make the outdoor recreation field more sustainable. Getting people outside is one of the best ways to get people to understand why sustainability is the way of the future. My dream job is to work at a company like REI or Brooks Running and work on sustainability systems there.
 

How has receiving this scholarship impacted your education or experience within the program, or at the U?

This scholarship allowed me to explore my interests and spend more time on my passionates outside of school and work. Because of this scholarship I am able to graduate from college debt free! This was a huge goal of mine and is allowing me to thru hike the Appalachian Trail this coming spring. The decision to give me this scholarship really impacted me in more ways than I can express. Paying for school was no longer stressful, I was able to pursue my passions, and figure out more about what I want to do post-graduation.

What are you most looking forward to doing with the knowledge and experience gained in this program once you have completed your degree?

I look forward to being able to gain some experience for about 1-2 years in the industry after I graduate, and then look forward to attending grad school. I'm not really sure if I want to do masters or an MBA, maybe my industrial experience would be helpful in deciding that preference.

 

How has receiving this scholarship impacted your education or experience within the program, or at the U?
I feel being honored with scholarship is a great way to keep yourself motivated to continue do well in school and try to make most use of various resources, such as participation outside academics in making connections with student groups, participating in labs, or meeting faculty to learn about their research and what they do.

 

What are you most looking forward to doing with the knowledge and experience gained in this program once you have completed your degree?

I am looking forward to applying what I learned as an ES student to help reduce any inefficiencies within an energy system at a specific company and promoting the importance in doing so in regard to the benefiting the environment while also reducing unnecessary costs.

 

How has receiving this scholarship impacted your education or experience within the program, or at the U?

This scholarship has provided a source of motivation for me to always do my best in my classes and has allowed me to focus more on school with less stress about paying for it.

 

 

 

What are you most looking forward to doing with the knowledge and experience gained in this program once you have completed your degree?

I am looking forward to pursuing a career in water resources engineering. So many communities around the world are either suffering from too little or too much water. I hope to take my knowledge gained through this program and contribute towards the development of sustainable solutions. As I learn more about natural processes such as groundwater flow and ecosystem stability, I’ve learned that there are also ways to adjust current practices and revive impaired sites. Particularly, I enjoy the biology and engineering principals surrounding water quality. I hope to take my experience and tackle the chemical and bacterial impairments we find though-out our groundwater supplies and surface waters. I also hope to use the ecological design principles I’ve learned to assist communities in becoming resilient to the impacts of climate change.

 

How has receiving this scholarship impacted your education or experience within the program, or at the U?

This scholarship has made such a large impact on my education experience within the program, and at the U overall. Without scholarships such as this one, I would have needed to decide between taking out large loans or forfeiting extracurriculars to work. Because of this scholarship, I have been able to pursue opportunities based on interest, rather than financial need. I’ve hoped to get as much out of my brief four years of undergrad as possible, and I couldn’t have done the things I’d hoped to do without financial assistance. Because of the generosity of scholarships, I have been able to take interesting electives, participate in projects with clubs, work as an undergraduate researcher, and even study abroad.

What are you most looking forward to doing with the knowledge and experience gained in this program once you have completed your degree?

I look forward to pursuing a career in either the food or pulp and paper industry and applying my knowledge and experience to further sustainability advancements wherever I go. I will also apply some of the information I learned, such as life cycle analysis and critical scientific thinking, to make better choices related to sustainability in my everyday life. I will be armed with the tools I need to understand the impact my choices have on people and the planet.

 

How has receiving this scholarship impacted your education or experience within the program, or at the U?

I am from a family with five kids, so I am responsible for paying my own tuition. The BBE scholarship has been a blessing because it has relieved some of my financial stress and allowed me to focus on my studies and career advancement opportunities without concerns about the cost.

 

Do you wish to share anything else with our BBE donors and stakeholders?

Thank you for your contribution to the education of the next generation of bioengineers! Your generosity has had such a positive impact on the college experiences of so many students, including mine.

What are you most looking forward to doing with the knowledge and experience gained in this program once you have completed your degree?

I hope to work in a commercial design firm after graduation. I'm looking forward to collaborating with designers and engineers to provide the building science knowledge necessary to making buildings high performing in order to meet the carbon reduction goals necessary to maintaining a livable and healthy planet. I'm excited to work in cool places with cool people and make cool buildings!!

 

How has receiving this scholarship impacted your education or experience within the program, or at the U?

Thanks to my scholarship, I've been able to work less, study more, and spend more time on campus getting to know faculty and my peers. This financial assistance is one of the main reasons I've had the time to pursue reigniting the building science club, which had previously disintegrated due to covid. I've also applied to be a peer reviewer with the Minnesota Undergraduate Research and Academic Journal (MURAJ). Without my scholarship, I would not have been able to commit to these unpaid endeavors.

 

Do you wish to share anything else with our BBE donors and stakeholders?

Thank you! Your support is greatly appreciated.

What are you most looking forward to doing with the knowledge and experience gained in this program once you have completed your degree?

I look forward to being able to apply my newly acquired knowledge of sustainable systems to a degree that is simultaneously conducive to my life and to the natural environment. I look forward to meeting like-minded peers and  creating a greater network of individuals who share similar values, viewpoints and passions. I look forward to going to work again, and hopefully doing something I love. I am acquiring a much greater and diverse set of tools to work with, and I look forward to applying these tools in the real world.

 

How has receiving this scholarship impacted your education or experience within the program, or at the U?

Receiving this scholarship has helped me in numerous ways. Firstly, the extra money has helped by relieving a huge amount of the financial burden that comes with being a full time student living in America, post-pandemic. To be able to study without having to worry about money the whole time really is a great feeling. Beyond the financial relief, which is enormous, this scholarship is also a firm reminder that I am on the right path and that I am on the way to accomplishing my goals. I have wondered many times if I have made the right choices. I have questioned my own abilities and intelligence, at times wondering if I am good enough, and fearing what awaits me in the unknown future. I have realized though, that these types of thoughts are not uncommon. I realize that I am not alone. I realize that, in fact, I am right where I am supposed to be, and that there are many people who have my back and who want to see me succeed. Because of these realizations, and some perseverance. Today, I stand stronger. Today, I am unafraid of the future. This scholarship played a part in that. It is humbling and deeply moving to know that there are so many people who do not even know me that are cheering me on. Cheering all of us on and rooting for us at every turn. I guess sometimes, through the blinding sweat (metaphorically speaking) it has been hard to see the supportive cheers of these great people, but indeed they have been there all along. This scholarship serves a reminder of that, and is a great source of motivation to do even better still.

 

Do you wish to share anything else with our BBE donors and stakeholders?

Thank you all very much for your generosity. I hope you all know that you have helped me greatly, and that your noble actions are inspiring and motivating. I look forward to one day having the chance to help people in the way that you all have helped us. I hope you all stay healthy. Thank you!