A total of 232 aspiring manufacturing engineers can sleep a little better this summer knowing their financial burden of school loans are significantly lighter or completely paid off by the SME Education Foundation scholarship program. This year SME awarded a total of $600,000 in scholarships.
SME has given more than $8.1 million in scholarships and $1.2 million in awards to high school seniors, two-and four-year college undergraduates, and masters and doctoral degree students since 1998.
"In today's economic climate, scholarships are crucial to students and their chances for viable careers," says Bart A. Aslin, CEO for SME. "As the emerging technologies sector continues to accelerate, companies increasingly dependent on advanced manufacturing technologies want to hire engineers capable of designing and improving products."
Key scholarship programs include Ford Blue Oval Scholarships, Gene Haas Machining Technology Scholarships and for SME Student Chapter members, the Joseph P. Novek Outstanding Student Leader Award and Future Leaders of Manufacturing Scholarship, according to SME.
$120,000 in Family and Director Scholarships was awarded to eight engineering students last month. An additional 224 students were awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000, ($521,500 total), some received multiple awards.
Family scholarships were awards to:
| Name | Award/Scholarship received | Degree being pursued | Graduated from | Academic achievements | Other contributions |
| Morgan K. Montalvo from Woodland Hills, Calif. | $70,000, four-year scholarship | Mechanical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. | Chaminade College Preparatory High School in West Hills, Calif. |
- AP classes |
- Member of the Eagle Engineering Robotics team, which qualified for VEX World Championships from 2008-2012 |
| Kelsey A. Scheppers from Holts Summit, Mo. | $10,000, one-year scholarship | Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. | Helias High School in Jefferson City, Mo. |
- Top of her class |
- Member of the National Honor Society |
| Selin Frances Sirinterlikci from Moon Township, Pa. | $10,000, one-year scholarship | Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. | Moon SHS in Moon Township, Pa. | - 4.49 GPA - AP classes - Honors classes |
- Member of VEX Robotics - Memer of Bots-IQ - Member of the Speech & Debate Club |
| Rebecca Ann Kurfess from Clemson, S.C. | $10,000, one-year scholarship | Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. | D. W. Daniel High School in Central, S.C. |
- 4.0 GPA |
In 2013, the Directors Scholarship acknowledged the contributions of Phillip Marsilius, FSME, LSME and awarded scholarships in his name, according to SME.
Phillip Marsilius Directors Scholarship was awarded to:
| Name | Award/Scholarship received | Degree being pursued | Career goals | Academic achievements | Other contributions |
| Josiah H. Johnson from Duluth, Minn. | $5,000, one-year scholarship | Manufacturing Engineering and Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis. | Establish his own consulting firm which will provide financial advice, as well as engineering solutions to manufacturing companies |
Cumulative 3.53 GPA |
Member of SME Student Chapter S088 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. |
| Timothy W. Biederman from Osage, Iowa | $5,000, one-year scholarship | Bachelor of Science degree in both Manufacturing Engineering and Automated Manufacturing at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa | Hopes to one day become a manufacturing engineer involved with the CNC machining process. |
- 4.0 GPA |
Member of SME Student Chapter S126 at the University of Northern Iowa. |
| Cheyenne McAnlis from Scottsdale, Ariz. | $5,000, one-year scholarship | Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial & Operations Engineering at Arizona State University - Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, Ariz. | Hopes to become a manufacturing engineer working with CNC multi-axis operations or designing flexible manufacturing systems | 4.0 GPA | Member of SME Student Chapter S043 at Arizona State University |
| Olivia J. Girod from Eugene, Ore. | $5,000, one-year scholarship | Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. | Looking for a career that will allow her to combine her industrial engineering and project management skills |
Honors student |
- Completed the Multiple Engineering Cooperative Program (MECOP) internship - Member of SME Student Chapter S019 at Oregon State University |
