Student Veteran Engineers Earn Scholarships
Nine of the 16 SAME scholarships awarded this year went to SDSU student veterans.
An unprecedented number of San Diego State University student veterans were recently awarded Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) scholarships. Nine of this year’s 16 awardees are student veterans in SDSU’s College of Engineering.
About SAME
The SAME scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, are awarded each year to undergraduates studying engineering and architecture at local colleges and universities by the organization’s local chapter. SAME’s mission is to “promote and facilitate engineering support for national security by developing and enhancing relationships … and by developing future engineers through outreach and mentoring.”
Scholarship applicants must submit academic transcripts, a resume and an essay about how the recipient intends to benefit the profession with their degree. Finalists also participate in a board interview.
“We are always so impressed by the poise and professionalism of the San Diego State Students,” said Linda Tegarden, a member of the SAME scholarship committee. “They put in exceptional effort and it shows.”
Supporting student veterans
The nine SDSU students are all part of the Troops to Engineers Success in Engineering for Recent Veterans through Internship and Career Experience (SERVICE) program, which, in addition to helping with scholarships, provides dedicated internship and employment placement services to student veterans at SDSU.
The recipients
“Thanks to the SAME scholarship I will be able to attend summer school and hopefully I will be able to graduate earlier as a result,” said Andrew Bonica, a Marine Corps veteran who is studying electrical engineering at SDSU.
Other recipients include:
- Benjamin Hubert, Mechanical Engineering
- Albert Fruner, Electrical Engineering
- Taylor Doolittle, Mechanical Engineering
- Jack Powell, Electrical Engineering
- Nick Apuzzo, Electrical Engineering
- Matthew Belden, Electrical Engineering
- Travis Tucker, Mechanical Engineering
- Jonathan Palmer, Construction Engineering
