Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner—Ben Bersie

Programs like the Fluid Power Scholarships are made possible in part by the generous support of industry volunteers as well as NFPA Education and Technology Foundation and Pascal Society donors. Support these efforts by making a donation.

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

Here’s one of the winners, Ben Bersie. He is attending Hennepin Technical College and is enrolled in the fluid power program. We asked Ben about winning the scholarship…

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?
Being awarded this Fluid Power Scholarship means a lot to me. This scholarship will allow me to further my education in a field that I am proud to be a part of. Along with my education, I will gain valuable skills that will allow me to be competitive in the fluid power industry.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
The reason I chose to learn about fluid power is primarily because of my high school chemistry teacher. He was having a lecture on the gas laws and mentioned that the superintendent’s son had gone to Hennepin Technical College for fluid power and was working at a local company, Calbrandt. After class, I asked him some questions about fluid power, and seeing that I was interested, he was able to set up a tour for me at Calbrandt. During the visit, I noticed that there are many different career paths in fluid power, and I could be hands-on and not stuck behind a desk all day.

What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?
One of my career aspirations is to continue bringing innovation and ideas for the improvement of agricultural equipment. Many of the newer tractors have incorporated different aspects of automation, but I would like to focus more on the implements that they pull. As far as a type of job after graduation, I hope to find something that will be both hands-on and related to agriculture. If I have to sit behind a desk, I will do it, but what I love most is to work with my hands and seeing the accomplishments that I have made from the start to the end of the day.

The Foundation’s goal is to help individuals enrolled in high schools, technical colleges, and engineering schools pursue their interests in fluid power. For further information about the Fluid Power Scholarship program, contact Amy Zignego, Workforce Program Manager, at azignego@nfpa.com.