Paper Super Scholars

The Paper Science and Engineering (PSE) program prides itself on their service and involvement within the industry and community. One of the ways the program serves their student population is through scholarship opportunities. The PSE program has over 135 endowed scholarships allowing students to defray the costs associated with college. As a leader in the industry, the PSE  program provides students the opportunity to advance their career through these scholarships.

Twelve Students Compete

One of the scholarships offered in the program is “Paper Super Scholars”. This scholarship provides an out of state student with a full ride for four years at NC State. This year there were twelve incredible candidates who came to experience the program and interview for the opportunity to be awarded the scholarship. Candidates traveled from as far as Michigan and Florida to learn about the program firsthand. Each of these candidates had been invited, to interview, based on the merit of their application to the university. Once on campus, Jennifer Piercy had an extensive schedule for both students and parents that included walking tours, student panels, faculty panels, and lab experience. Each event featured different currently enrolled students who volunteered their time to sell the program they have come to love to students and parents alike. After a full day of immersion within the program, the candidates were taken to the Free Expression Tunnel to experience a NC State tradition. They also ate Howling Cow ice cream at Talley Student Union before resting up for their interviews the next day.

Difficult Choices for Students and Committee

Each candidate was interviewed by a student and an alumni/faculty panel. Together, these panels were able to assess which candidate would be the best fit for the program and a future ambassador in industry. As is often the case, the decision was incredibly difficult because of the diverse and impressive experiences of each candidate. Luckily, the generous support of donors and alumni allows each candidate to walk out of their interviews with some level of scholarship. Each candidate left both the current students and alumni incredibly impressed and hopeful that they would choose NC State over other very impressive universities for the Fall of 2019.

Guest Blogger: Kable Young