A Civil Engineer's Academic Recognition of Achievement by Christopher

A Civil Engineer's Academic Recognition of Achievement by Christopher - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

A sense of pride should always be found in one’s own academic achievements. To the student in pursuit of higher education, positive rapport established among fellow peers and mentors in recognition of exceptional academic achievements further exemplifies commitment to that student’s chosen field. As such, I wish to present a recent accomplishment for which I have been recognized for my own academic achievements, and am proud to relay my experience in being recommended for the application to the Dr. David R. Jones IV scholarship by my institutional mentor and instructor in the field of civil engineering and construction materials.
I am a civil engineering undergraduate, with a particular interest in the area of hot-mix asphalt design and asphalt binder technology. I am a student totally committed to my chosen area of study, and take pride in maintaining a cumulative GPA currently at 3.91. At the completion of the previous semester, I received a final grade of 102.22% in a civil engineering and construction materials course. Though I have exceeded final grades in excess of 100% before, this occasion had added significance in that it is directly aligned with my future intended career path. This accomplishment is an excellent achievement in itself, but events that would follow would greatly fill me with pride as a future civil engineer. In recognition of my academic achievements, my mentor had taken notice of my diligence and commitment to the study of the asphalt industry. As a result of this, my mentor, along with one additional professor of civil and environmental engineering that I have served as a teacher’s assistant for, has provided letters of recommendation on my behalf as a recipient of the prestigious Dr. David R. Jones IV scholarship. To the civil engineer, receiving this scholarship is essentially akin to receiving an award, particularly to those students in pursuit of research opportunities in the field of hot-mix asphalt design and modified asphalt binder technology.
Receiving said scholarship would obviously be considered a prestigious award to a student with interests such as my own, and receiving consideration for this scholarship should be seen as an achievement in itself. Moreover, receiving the acknowledgement of my mentors for my most recent academic achievements has provided me with much to take pride in. My interests in design and use of civil engineering materials, particularly the use of hot-mix asphalt in pavement design, was mainly triggered by my instructor and mentor who has engaged students to excel in fields related to hot-mix asphalt. This is in the same vision as Dr. David R. Jones who has made key contributions to the hot-mix industry including the development, production and use of modified asphalt for highway paving. Myself, as a civil engineering student, desire to pursue graduate study related to hot-mix asphalt. I do believe that my involvement could make an impact in the industry. Receiving this scholarship would not only help me financially, but more importantly it will push myself further into my chosen study and career. As such, the greatest degree of pride derived from this achievement comes in the form of assurance: assurance that I will be successful in my chosen studies; assurance that I will be recognized for my achievements; and assurance that I do have the ability to make a positive impact in my chosen industry.
Students in pursuit of higher education must always take pride in their academic achievements, and should strive to be recognized among their peers as students of exceptional performance wholly dedicated to the study of their chosen field. My recent achievement in completing a course with an exceptional display of academic effort has garnered the recognition of my own peers and mentors. I am proud of this accomplishment, and I am self-assured that my own academic abilities are an indication of my future success as a civil engineer in the field of asphalt pavement technology.