Empowering future engineers
Missy Brost receiving the Los Angeles ASU Alumni chapter award at the 2015 chapter conference. Courtesy photo
An Arizona State University alumna inspired by her alma mater’s charter and family legacy is giving back to establish three new scholarships.
Missy Brost graduated from ASU in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She used that as a springboard to launch a successful career in engineering while earning multiple degrees from other universities.
Brost has committed to an estate gift, establishing endowed scholarships for female engineering students in Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering programs, students from Los Angeles and students related to ASU graduates.
“I love the fact that ASU will give anyone an opportunity,” Brost says. “It’s part of the university charter. Some people are successful in high school and not college, and vice versa. I think that supporting that opportunity is wonderful.”
Brost established three scholarships with the estate gift:
- The Missy Brost Women in Engineering Endowed Scholarship supports female engineering students.
- The Anderson Family Alumni Association Legacy Endowed Scholarship, in memory of her parents, supports students attending ASU who are related to degreed ASU alumni.
- The Missy Brost Los Angeles Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship supports students attending ASU from Los Angeles, where Missy has lived for 16 years and began serving on the Los Angeles ASU Alumni chapter board soon after graduation.
“Missy’s generosity is establishing a legacy that will inspire students to thrive,” says Kyle Squires, dean of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and ASU’s senior vice provost for engineering, computing and technology. “This gift not only creates opportunities for more students to pursue their dreams in engineering but also reinforces the importance of representation in shaping the field.”
“I don’t want money getting in the way of someone’s ability to go and get an education,” Brost says. “When I was at ASU, only 10% of mechanical and aerospace engineering students were women. I would love to see an increased number of women in the pipeline.”
“The generosity of our donors transforms lives at ASU,” says Eric Spicer, vice president of unit development for the ASU Foundation for a New American University. “They are providing essential resources while also inspiring our students to reach their fullest potential. It is a perfect display of ASU's charter at work.”
Brost’s interest in ASU’s charter is not the only reason she felt compelled to give back to the university.
“Both my parents went to ASU, and they really wanted me to blaze my own path,” Brost says. “I grew up an ASU fan because of the connection, and although I have degrees from other universities, it is definitely the school I am closest to.”
Her father earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1953, and her mother earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1960.
Brost wanted to honor their legacy through a memorial scholarship to benefit students related to degreed ASU alumni.
“Missy is a quintessential ASU alum — a leader in engineering who has chosen to foster future female engineers along with future Sun Devils overall,” says Christine Wilkinson, president and CEO of the ASU Alumni Association. “Missy’s extensive contributions in her corporate career and over 10 years of commitment as an alumni chapter leader in Los Angeles to impact future Sun Devils from Los Angeles attending ASU is wonderful. She epitomizes her devotion as a second-generation Sun Devil and honors her family’s ASU legacy with scholarships for students related to ASU graduates. These will all help provide access to a university education for generations to come.”
Brost has worked for Boeing, Raytheon and Amazon during her 23-year career, reaching the director level at all three corporations. While she worked to build her career, she earned a Master of Science in engineering from the University of Washington and an MBA and a Master of Science in engineering from MIT.
More University news
ASU earns 'Gold' in inaugural Times Higher Education Online Learning Ranking
Arizona State University continues to set the standard in online learning, having earned a Gold rating in the inaugural Times Higher Education Online Learning Ranking 2024. This recognition…
2024 President's Awards honor ASU projects for real-world impact
Ten Arizona State University programs were honored for their real-world solutions during the annual President’s Awards ceremony held on Dec. 6.The awards formally recognize successful solutions in…
ASU celebrates Paul C. Helmick Center renaming
When Mary Jo Helmick cut the ribbon at the front doors of the Paul C. Helmick Center at Arizona State University, more than 100 education leaders, faculty, staff, family and friends cheered.“This has…