Gebreyes Service Scholarship
$2k to 2 students ($4k total)
Background
The Nathnael Gebreyes Service Scholarship was established by the SEC in 2001 to honor the ideals of service that Nathnael represented throughout his life. Nathnael was a 1985 graduate of the Industrial Engineering and Operational Research Department (now Industrial and Systems Engineering) at Virginia Tech. Prior to enrollment at Virginia Tech, he immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia, after walking to Sudan due to the political unrest within the country. He attended Stonewall Jackson High School. Nathnael was only weeks away from beginning graduate study at the University of Virginia in 1988 when he was killed by a drunk driver.
The Nathnael Gebreyes Service Scholarship is awarded annually to 2 rising juniors or seniors who have portrayed outstanding service principles to the university and the community. The scholarship will be awarded at the SEC Awards Banquet held in the upcoming Spring Semester.
2024-2025 Recipients: Logan Braun and Lacey Ngo
2023-2024: Jessica May and Ashlyn O'Neill
2022-2023: Mollie Dickler and Ashlyn O'Neill
2021-2022: Betelhem Demissie
2020-2021: Justin Laiti
Criteria for Eligibility
The following are the requirements of the student applying for the Nathnael Gebreyes Service Scholarship:
- The applicant must be at least an academic sophomore in the College of Engineering (45 hours passed by the end of Fall 2024) with a minimum of two semesters before graduation
- The applicant must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- The applicant may only apply for this scholarship twice during their academic career
- The scholarship is contingent on attendance at the SEC Awards Banquet in the upcoming Spring Semester.
Application and Selection Process
- The application consists of four parts: general information, essay, resume, and one letter of recommendation related to service activities.
- All applications must be submitted through the online application. The applicant will receive a confirmation email once the entire application is received and complete from the SEC Awards and Scholarships Chair.
- One letter of recommendation, to be submitted through this link by the recommender.
- Applications will be reviewed by the SEC Awards and Scholarships Committee. Finalists will be chosen and contacted to schedule an interview.
This application may only be submitted once. The deadline for applications in the 2024-2025 academic year is January 31st, 2025, at 11:59 PM. The deadline for letters of recommendation is January 31st, 2025 at 11:59 PM. If you have any questions concerning the application process, please contact the SEC Awards and Scholarships Chair (secawards@vt.edu).