Applying for Scholarships

Receiving scholarships is no easy task. Neither is applying for them. Yet, we, as students, do because the chance we could receive one is enough to motivate us to apply. I remember when I first toured Riddle, back in the days of 2018, and met a girl who applied to numerous scholarships and received so many that she didn’t have any student debt when she graduated. I aspired to be that girl, to have that perseverance. 

Proud logo of the College of Security and Intelligence (CSI).

Of course, the ERAU Financial Aid Office offers many good options, but they are only the starting source. I’d say, about 80% of applying to scholarships is dependent on your self-determination. Some students receive competitive scholarships through their ROTC programs, if that is what you like to do. I am not one of those students. Initially, I looked for programs through the clubs I was active in. Sometimes, clubs and national organizations may be funding scholarships for their members. I found that there were quite a few in aviation clubs, although despite going to an aeronautical university, I knew little about. In Cyber Defense Club, a group closely related to my interests, I learned about a few opportunities supported by WiCYS and applied to those. Sadly, no luck.

Entrance to the CSI Building

Then, I moved online. Gauging my status as a college student from my metadata, advertisements were popping up with sources of scholarship search engines, like FastWeb and Scholarships.com. Having had applied to many scholarships prior, I was tired of asking my professors for glowing recommendation letters, answering essay questions, and writing slightly tweaked cover letters for each scholarship. The minimal requirements for the generic scholarships online were greatly appealing, so I applied to many. Yet again, I had no luck.

This is the famous Cyber Lab, located in Room 127 of CSI Building.

At this point, I had an Excel spreadsheet of over 50 scholarships I had applied to. Fatigued but still determined to not have student debt, I traversed on. This was around year two of college, so I had already started accumulating debt. I decided that I needed to look outside my previous methods. I turned within my College of Security and Intelligence and Department of Cyber Intelligence and Security specifically. Perfect timing! Dr. Sampigethaya, the Department Chair of Cyber Security, was just promoting applications to the Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program. In 2019, our Cyber Lab was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense Education, Cyber Defense Research, and Cyber Operations by the DHS and NSA, making ERAU students applicable for this program. Recognizing the magnitude of this opportunity, I jumped right into the application process. Five months later, I received a phone call, a scholarship, and a post-graduation job! In retrospect, the process of scholarship applying doesn’t seem that rigorous; however, when I was in it, it was horrible. The longer it takes to receive scholarships, the more debt you accumulate. If you have many disappointments like I did, don’t give up! Working hard now can only benefit your future self, and honestly your bank account.

The scholarship application process is challenging; if you need assistance on any step, a smart move would be contacting the Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships. This ERAU Office can support you in just about all aspects of the application process, from formatting your resume to requesting recommendation letters from professors. To contact them, please email uaawards@erau.edu.

Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Security Agency.

Opportunities with Honors

I’m Alexis Hepburn from Lake Stevens, Washington. For the past three years at Embry-Riddle, I have devoted myself to engagement with my campus community through mentorship, leadership, and research. As an Honors Program student on the research track, I have been able to cultivate my newly formed skills as a future Aerospace Engineer. The Embry-Riddle staff and faculty foster an environment of academic rigor, engaging hands-on experiences, and the potential to grow personally and professionally. The Embry-Riddle family continually rises to the challenge of providing the optimal undergraduate career.

In the late spring of 2018, I contacted Dr. Daniel White in order to pursue a potential mentor relationship. His experience in electric propulsion both in industry and an academic setting supported and aligned with my longtime interests. Upon our first interaction, he encouraged me to visit his office so we could begin a research project of our own. I was amazed at his openness and enthusiasm to teach me the things that I’d been missing, having previously been solely dependent on scholarly literature. With his assistance, we began working on a single-stage bismuth fed stationary plasma thruster.

A stationary plasma thruster is a form of electric propulsion used most often on satellites for long duration missions. The fuel source is usually an inert gas which is heated to the point of becoming a plasma. The engine operates via energizing and ejecting the plasma with help from the Hall Effect, which describes the relationship between an electric and a magnetic field. 

Work station

After a few short weeks of preliminary work sessions filled with whiteboard ‘chicken scratch’, spreadsheet configurations, and computer-generated models, we were ready to submit our proposal to the Undergraduate Research Institute (URI). URI is an unparalleled resource for students because it allows them to pursue their research interests in a supportive and resource-laden environment.

3D Model of the assembled engine

The Embry-Riddle professors are confident in their students and therefore, Dr. White encouraged me to submit our preliminary design to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) national Energy and Propulsion Forum in August. Upon acceptance to this conference, I will now have the opportunity to present and publish my research among some of the industry’s leaders. I will have the context to grow my network, represent my university, and display my work among future colleagues.

One of the benefits to Honors Program students is that we are invited to apply for awards, fellowships, and scholarships through the National Collegiate Honors Council. This year, I was thankful to have been accepted as a 2019 Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship recipient, where I will seek to address the potential improvements for miniaturized Hall thrusters for long duration satellite missions.

I owe much of my success and appreciation to my mentor, Dr. White, who has continuously gone above and beyond during the planning and development of this research. I would also like to thank the Honors Program Director, Dr. Boettcher for her continued interest in my success which was often delivered in well-timed encouragement and constructive critiques. Finally, this would not have been possible without the patience and diligence of the machinists, rapid prototyping lab technicians, research librarians, and the College of Engineering administrators.

Find me on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-hepburn

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 

Its Officially 2014!!!!! Congratulations everyone on making it through 2013!! For those new Embry Riddle Prescott Students we welcome you!! For those who are soon to join us here keep pushing through until graduation, we look forward to seeing you next fall 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you interested in what Embry Riddle Prescott has in store for you during this new year?? I certainly am, have a look our website through the avenues below!!

Visit Us in Prescott

Check out the Majors we Offer

Request More Information

Apply Now

Hope you have enjoyed our second year of blogging, I definitely have. Please keep reading as we keep you up to date on all the latest college insights. Happy New Year everybody, Let’s make it a great one!

Fitness

Fitness is a huge part of being a cadet at Embry Riddle and also at any ROTC detachment or service Academy. If you plan to attend our University and be a part of either our Air Force or Army ROTC Detachments then you must be above the rest physically.

Embry Riddle Prescott is actually a pretty unique school that can really help you with your fitness. We have several fields, running trails, a track, gyms, a cardio room, and so much more to help our students stay in shape while they attend school here. The facilities are open to all students and you may use them at your leisure. The big difference about this University as compared to others is that we are actually about a mile above sea level in elevation here.

As a result of the elevation less oxygen is available so when you work out you are strengthening your lungs immensely. When you go to lower elevations you will then have an edge on other athletes because your lungs are so much stronger!!

This is also helpful if you are in ROTC because there are numerous facilities for you to work out in and build yourself up so you can perform well in PT. Adjusting to the elevation is a huge part of how you perform at this University in ROTC so the sooner you adjust the better, but be careful you can get sick or feel weak when working out here at first. It is normal just don’t overdue it and you will be fine. A slow adjustment is better because you work up to it over time and you don’t get sick from it 😀

Whatever you like to do to stay in shape we can accommodate you here!!

Campus Tours

 

For prospective students many colleges or Universities will offer a Campus tour so that the student may get a feel for the place that they may be living in for the next four years. Here on Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus the Admissions office staff and student employees (like me!!) work really hard to be sure that if you choose to tour our beautiful campus, that you have an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

 

Prescott Aerial View of Campus

When you first arrive on campus you will meet up with your tour guide in the Welcome center, which is building 41. It is pretty simple to find, just enter campus through the entrance with the electronic signboard and take the second right leaving the roundabout. You will immediately see the Welcome Center.

 

Once you are inside there may be a small wait and then you will be off on your tour to see the Freshman dorms, Dining hall, Wellness Center, King Engineering, Academic Complex, Laboratories in the AXFAB (Aerospace Experimentation and Fabrication Building), Wind Tunnel Labs, Jet Dragster Lab, Central Campus, Student Facilities, and the Hazy Library. If you are interested in doing Air Force or Army ROTC at Embry-Riddle then you will also be offered the opportunity to meet with representatives of one or both of the detachments on campus.for Aeronautical Science majors a tour of the Prescott campus’s flight line is also offered and can be taken in addition to the campus tour.

Campus Map

After your tour is complete you then have the opportunity to meet with your admissions counselor in order to cover any admissions questions you have about attending the University. Admissions counselors are located inside the Welcome Center as well as the offices of Financial Aid and Student employment so if you would like you may also look into discussing options for aid or employment with these offices after you have met with your counselor.

It may be a long and eventful day but, I can guarantee that this campus with fascinate you and that your visitor’s experience here at Embry Riddle Prescott has the potential to turn into a really fun and rewarding four years in pursuit of one of our unique majors.

Cockpit in Flight

If you would like to join us here for a day please visit our website and sign up for a campus tour. If you are unable to be here in person then I encourage you to take a virtual tour. Additional information on the campus can be found here. However way you visit we look forward to showing you our campus!!

 

ROTC Scholarships and Programs

 

Hello again, I am sure many students at one point or another have considered entering a branch of the military in order to help pay for educational costs. Reserve Officer Training Corps is certainly an excellent way to gain a degree and a career as an officer in a branch of the military services. ROTC is available on most campuses nationwide, not every campus will have every branch so you must choose a University depending on the branch you would like to enter.

Embry Riddle has two full ROTC detachments as well asan additional training program. These are Air Force ROTC, Army ROTC, and the Marine training called Platoon Leaders. Each of these programs can prepare you to follow a career in a military service and get you financial aid that will help you earn a degree. As some of our readers might know I am a sophomore cadet in the Air Force ROTC program.

Air Force ROTC

Competition for scholarships in Air Force ROTC can be difficult as a scholarship requires a good Physical Fitness score, a positive medical evaluation, a demonstration of leadership abilities through extracurricular activities and positions as well as letters of recommendation and at least a 3.0 GPA in high school. Other tests such as the SAT, ACT, AFOQT (Air Force Officer Qualifying Test) are taken into account when a student is being considered for a scholarship.

Army ROTC

There are two scholarships available, each can vary in type and the amount awarded.

The first one is the in high school scholarship which is awarded to a graduating high school senior who intends to enter ROTC at the University of their chose and the second is an in college scholarship that is awarded to cadets who have continually displayed outstanding performance in their time as a cadet. If you are interested in joining Air Force ROTC straight out of high school I highly recommend applying for the high school scholarship during the fall semester of your Senior year. This is actually how I was awarded my scholarship, it can be a lot of work but, the scholarship is an enormous help if you are attending a four year university.

Platoon Leaders

Whatever you chose to pursue in the future I wish you great luck but, if you are interested in one of the programs I discussed I would be happy to answer any questions you might have, so please comment!

Also check out the Embry Riddle Prescott campus website for more information on each program. Thank you!!!

Financial Aid: What a Blessing!

Although I have found Embry-Riddle to be quite expensive, I have been blessed with scholarships and Financial Aid. I realized working hard and searching diligently for opportunities, has really paid off (literally). I was even fortunate enough to attend a luncheon last week with Brian Hoefig, the “focal” representative between Boeing and Embry-Riddle, because I was a recipient of a Boeing scholarship.

We got to learn about some of the new projects Boeing is working on and we also got to share our own dreams and aspirations. Mr. Hoefig also talked about internship opportunities and told me that I could talk to him during the career fair and possibly get a position there. It was a great opportunity to thank him for the scholarship and to get my foot in the door with a big company. Although business and flying are not my fortes anymore, he mentioned that there are international positions as well.

I have come to realize that nothing is impossible once you set your mind to getting enough tuition money. I have seen many prospective students give up their dreams to come to Embry-Riddle, when all you really need to do is work hard. You do not have to be the smartest and the best, (although it may be favored) you really just need to show determination and preservation. DO NOT GIVE UP! If Embry-Riddle is where you want to go, then all you need to do is put your heart into it. There are many scholarship and grant opportunities out there, you just need to search for them. There are military options, there are local scholarships, scholastic scholarships, and federal grants/scholarships and even loans if necessary. I, myself, do have to take out a few loans, but in all honesty, I feel that it is worth it. I love this school and the education I am getting. I know this is where I belong, and I will be able to pay back those loans soon after I graduate. If, for whatever reason, you cannot get enough aid, always consider different loan options, it may be worth it in the long run.

I was blessed with scholastic scholarships and local scholarships. I also got a lot of aid from FAFSA and only a little bit of loans. I worked really hard to get here, and it truly was worth every effort. I suggest putting a few hours of research aside every month to find scholarships, and sometimes you may be lucky enough to get a renewable scholarship, which makes everything much easier. Also, keep in mind once you finish a year of college, more scholarships are open to you because businesses are more willing to aid students who are truly serious about their education. There is also an Embry-Riddle application you can fill out once you start attending the school, this helps out a lot!

My advice is to never give up on your dreams and aspirations. Keep fighting and looking for the funds. It will all be worth it in the end, I promise! 🙂