DJ&A is pleased with the outcome of its inaugural diversity scholarship program. Five students were awarded $1000 each for their undergraduate studies this fall. The recipients, all qualified women and minority students enrolled in programs related to engineering, GIS, or environmental sciences, were selected based on the quality of their application essays, the strength of their letters of recommendation, and the excellence of their academic records.
We recently checked in with the scholarship recipients to see how the fall semester is going. Across the board, the students say their DJ&A scholarship is easing financial burdens and allowing for more time to focus on studies.
Shira Ellenson, a GIS student at the University of Montana, states, “This semester, I’m taking Ecological Statistics and Digital Image Analysis. The ability to spatially view ecological analyses offers a new and exciting perspective on a traditional type of learning.”
Samara Harvey, an engineering student at South Dakota State University, has a 4.0 and participates in the American Society of Civil Engineers. She says, “Engineering is all about teamwork and creative problem solving; it’s about looking at a complex problem from all angles and analyzing every possible solution.”
Kinsee Dodge, an engineering student from Montana State University, says, “I am most excited to learn more about hydrology and ecology this semester, specifically how to best select methods for calculating desired outcomes based on the characteristics of an individual watershed and how those changes in hydrology impact the surrounding ecology.”
Morgan Sellars, an environmental sciences major at Salish Kootenai College, claims, “I hope to inspire other Native American women, especially from my reservation, to be educated in Wildlife and Fisheries Science because we are the future of our people, and we are here to help make the world change for the better.”
Logan Williams, another environmental sciences major at Salish Kootenai College, says he’s enjoying Mammalogy – both the lecture and lab – because he’s “looking forward to gaining new and traditional ecological knowledge.”
We are honored to provide support that will ensure the perspectives of women and minority-status individuals will be included in the future of our industry. We look forward to continuing this program in 2022—stay tuned for our call for applications this winter.