Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner – Nicole Wu

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation has awarded 20 $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing fluid power related fields of study.

One of the winners, Nicole Wu, is attending Ohlone College. We asked Nicole a few questions about winning the scholarship.

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?

Winning this Fluid Power Scholarship Award means I have the opportunity to learn and attend
college with reduced financial burdens. This scholarship takes me one step closer to reaching my
goals while giving me one less thing to worry about. It serves as a reminder that there are
amazing organizations and programs around me that want to help students succeed.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?

I learned about fluid power in my high school engineering class, and it quickly became my
favorite unit. What got me even more interested in fluid power was its interconnections with
math and physics and applicability to things I see in my daily life. There are so many current and
future opportunities for fluid power to integrate into our lives, and I want to learn and explore
those possibilities.

What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?

My career goal is to become an electrical engineer. I am interested in designing and
developing hydroelectric systems. I am inspired by the design and operation of the Panama
Canal as well as hydroelectric dams in the United States that integrate fluid power and electric
power systems.

A minimum GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0, 500-word essay, and letter of recommendation were required from each applicant. The NFPA Foundation’s goal is to help graduating high school students, and individuals enrolled in community colleges, technical schools and universities pursue their academic interests in fluid power.

One way NFPA members can get involved with scholarship programs is to volunteer as a judge to serve on the application review committee. This year 27 judges from 19 NFPA member companies reviewed 122 eligible student applications to the Fluid Power Scholarship program. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com.