MSA is pleased to announce five students selected to receive scholarships for 2019 through the MSA scholarship program.

These $1,000 scholarships are being awarded to top-tier college student applicants in the Upper Midwest who are actively pursuing degrees in engineering, surveying or architecture. This year, each of the five selected are also participating in the MSA internship program. This is the fourth consecutive year MSA has awarded collegiate scholarships.

The scholarship criteria required applicants to be full-time students with a 3.0 or higher GPA, entering into either their junior or senior year in the fall of 2019. Recipients were selected based on academic performance, an application essay, leadership and volunteer experience.

“One of MSA’s core values is a commitment to learning,” said Craig Fields, director of human resources. “We are proud to continue to support Science, Engineering, Technology and Math (STEM) education and the development of a new generation of engineers. In addition, we are excited to welcome these, and all of our talented students, to the MSA internship program for 2019. We have a total of 28 interns this year, four of whom are returning for the second time. We look forward to learning from these students as they learn from us.”

Winners Announced

Please join us in congratulating the following scholarship winners:

• Gabe Braboy, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Civil Engineering
• Emily Bruess, Purdue University, Civil Engineering
• Keegan Flynn, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Civil Engineering
• Jessika McNellis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Anna Yordan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Applicant Insights

MSA is consistently impressed with quality of applicants that submit for these scholarships. We are pleased to share with you a few highlights from the winning applications:

Gabe Braboy: “My father played a role in my pursuit of a degree in civil engineering He worked for close to thirty years with the Illinois Department of Transportation. Throughout his time there, he designed many of the roads and bridges I would traverse on my travels home. I’m pursuing it now because of my passion to help others and the ability to engineer structures that last for decades, or even centuries. I want to give back to the community that has helped shape me as a person.”

Emily Bruess: “Engineering allows for contemporary problems to be solved with critical thinking. I have chosen to pursue a career in civil engineering with an emphasis on environmental and ecological engineering because I want to contribute to this world through a passion I have. I believe it is the duty of engineers to use our skills to better the world and plan for the future, which includes working to protect the environment.”

Keegan Flynn: “Engineering has impacted the lives of everyone on earth. It is the silent superhero…continuing to affect the lives of humans, bettering the quality of life, supplying the infrastructural needs and improving safety for a thriving society. It impresses on me the fact that there is so much more than what’s on the surface.”

Jessica McNellis: “Engineering is a unique way of helping people. As engineers, we have the ability to figure out how things work, why they work, and the best ways to improve them. Ever since I can remember, putting things together and figuring out how they work has been among my favorite things to do. From conceiving, designing and constructing…to maintaining infrastructure projects and systems in both the public and private sectors, a career in civil engineering provides the best opportunity for me to have a positive impact on society. I will utilize all I have learned to live a life of integrity, meaning and service.”

Anna Yordan: “I always dreamed of becoming an architect, but eventually found that civil engineering could offer similar challenges as well as broaden my knowledge of structures and environmental issues. I am grateful to have attended an all-female high school that encouraged young women like myself to explore higher level math and science courses. I realized that pursuing a degree in engineering would not only challenge me mentally, but create the opportunity to spark positive change in the lives of others.”

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Congratulations once again to our scholarship recipients – a well-deserving and impressive group of individuals. We look forward to your contributions and all that you bring to the profession! Learn more about working at MSA, career opportunities or read a great testimonial about Nick Manke and his journey from MSA intern to MSA engineer.