Scholarships support Veterans earning Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics degrees from San Diego State University and California State University San Marcos
San Diego CA—The San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC) Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the active-duty and retired military communities through program initiatives funded by tax-deductible donations, today announced the recipients of the 2018 – 2019 SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year Academic Scholarships. The scholarships will help five military Veteran students to earn degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) fields from San Diego State University (SDSU) and California State University San Marcos (CSUSM).
“SDMAC Foundation is thrilled to award academic scholarships to these exceptional U.S. military Veterans,” said Pete Hedley, President of SDMAC Foundation. “Each of these individuals embodies what it means to serve the Country through the military and then go on to serve our communities by pursuing impactful careers.”
“CSUSM is extremely proud of these distinguished Veterans for receiving the SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year Academic scholarships,” said Patricia Reily, Ed.D., Veterans Services Director at CSUSM. “We look forward to seeing them graduate and pursue meaningful careers in the STEM fields.”
“Serving in the Marine Corps gave me a strong desire to contribute to society in a larger way,” said Daniel Vandiver, a United States Marine Corps Veteran and scholarship recipient at CSUSM. “The SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year Academic Scholarship will allow me to take this one step further by earning a Computer Science degree without incurring significant debt.”
“SDSU is honored to have a third SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year Academic Scholarship awarded to a student at our institution,” said Derek Abbey, Director, Joan and Art Barron Veterans Center at SDSU. “This scholarship is another way in which SDSU and SDMAC Foundation are positively impacting the lives of more Veterans in our community.”
The following are the recipients of the 2018 – 2019 SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year Academic Scholarships. Click here to visit the SDMAC Foundation website for more information.
- Daniel Riedel served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) as a KC-130 Airframer. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, with an emphasis in Thermal and Solar Energies at SDSU. After completing his degree, Mr. Riedel is planning for a career in the green energy sector developing technologies to lessen the world’s dependencies on fossil fuels.
- Alexandria Harding served in the United States Navy (USN) as an electronics technician. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology at CSUSM and aspires to have a career in the medical field.
- David Falconer served in the USMC as a computer network administrator responsible for ensuring safe passage of communication equipment and establishing networking connectivity for an entire expeditionary unit. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from CSUSM. After completing his degree, Mr. Falconer aspires to start a web design and development business.
- Michael Jones served in the USN as a sonar technician. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from CSUSM. An avid fan of software development, Mr. Jones plans on a career mentoring others developing software that helps to improve the world.
- Daniel Vandiver served in the USMC as an aviation mechanic. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from CSUSM. After earning his degree, Mr. Vandiver aspires to work as a software engineer for flight operations at a company such as SpaceX, or Tesla, Inc.
Candidates for the SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year Scholarship must meet the following criteria to be considered:
- Recent military Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Honorably separated
- Rank of E1 through E9
- Enrolled as a full-time student
- Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above
- Seeking a degree in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields (preferred)
Click here for more information about the SDSU SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year academic scholarship.
For more information about the CSUSM SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year academic scholarship, contact Patricia Reily, Ed.D, Commander, USN (Ret), Veterans Services Director, CSUSM, preily@csusm.edu.
About SDMAC Foundation
The SDMAC Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that was founded in 2016 to enable San Diego’s leading non-profit military organization to further promote general awareness and understanding of the importance of a strong national defense in the region. The SDMAC Foundation supports San Diego’s active-duty and retired military community through program initiatives, educational outreach, and events funded by tax-deductible donations received by the organization. A signature program of the SDMAC Foundation is the continuation of the “San Diego Military Advisory Council/SDSU Military Student of the Year” academic scholarship that started in celebration of SDMAC’s 10th anniversary in 2014. The inaugural SDMAC Military Veteran Student of the Year scholarship in 2016, followed by a second scholarship in 2017. For more information and to make a tax-deductible donation to the SDMAC Foundation, visit https://www.sdmac.org/foundation/.