2 ASU students awarded prestigious Department of Defense scholarship for STEM majors
The Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarships Advisement (ONSA) has announced that two Arizona State University students have been awarded the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship, a combined educational and workforce development opportunity for STEM students sponsored by the United States Department of Defense.
The recipients are Alan Dupre, a master’s student in mechanical engineering, and Sophia Lin, a sophomore in Barrett, The Honors College majoring in both cybersecurity and political science. Dupre received bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering, global health and physics with honors from Barrett Honors College in May 2024.
The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program is offered to undergraduate, master's and doctoral students pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degrees. Scholarship recipients receive full tuition, annual stipends, internships and guaranteed civilian employment with the Department of Defense after graduation.
Shay Masterson, program manager for outreach and inclusion at ONSA, said the SMART program is highly competitive, with a 15% award rate, and requires an extensive application process.
Since the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program is a pipeline for employment with the Department of Defense, the key for any interested applicant is to have a strong motivation to ultimately work for the DOD developing next-generation technology, Masterson said.
“Sophia and Alan came to the application process with a high potential to contribute to the DOD’s mission, as well as the desire to do so,” she said, adding that they spent months working on their resumes and personal statements, seeking feedback from ONSA staff and mentors in their respective fields, and practicing interviewing skills.
“Ultimately, they both made full use of the community of support around them and put in the hours necessary to submit strong applications.”
Over the summer, Dupre and Lin got a preview of their future with the DOD during visits to their job placement sites and at a conference for SMART scholarship recipients in Washington, D.C., where they learned about defense-related careers from current and past SMART scholars and DOD leaders.
Dupre said the SMART program is “an amazing opportunity both financially and professionally.”
“It's an especially great opportunity for those who are interested in research and engineering roles that are mission oriented, as opposed to being primarily profit driven,” said Dupre, who has a job waiting for him at the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Washington, D.C.
“This is exactly the kind of work that the DoD prioritizes and that is facilitated by the SMART program. It was for that reason that I was driven to apply for the SMART program, and I can't wait to see the opportunities that await as a result,” he added.
Lin, a multiyear SMART scholarship recipient, will serve as an undergraduate intern at the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C., and be placed in a full-time position there after she completes her bachelor’s degree.
“It is incredibly rewarding and motivating to know that I will use the skills I am learning right now to contribute to a mission greater than myself. SMART also guarantees valuable internship experience, which I am super excited for,” she said.
Lin said her ultimate career goal is to work in homeland security in the fields of cyberintelligence and cyberdefense.
“SMART is the perfect jumping-off pad for my ambitions. I am incredibly fortunate to be working with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the agency in the exact field I want to break into,” she said.
Applications for the 2025 SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program are now open until Dec. 6, 2024.
Students interested in applying should contact ONSA for guidance.
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