Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner – Bentley Soukhaphaly

The NFPA Education and Technology Foundation has awarded 23 $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing fluid power related fields of study.

One of the winners, Bentley Soukhaphaly, is attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We asked Bentley a few questions about winning the scholarship.

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?

Winning the Fluid Power Scholarship means I can focus on schooling over the cost of tuition. I can put more of my attention towards learning and being involved with projects and clubs. Earning a scholarship also demonstrates recognition of an individual’s abilities and achievements. It validates hard work, dedication, and expertise, providing a sense of accomplishment.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
I chose to learn about mechanical engineering because as a kid, I would always like to help my dad with cars and build Legos. In high school, I took engineering classes and liked building solutions to solve problems. Learning how things work has always interested me and engineering will teach me much about how things work.

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

In the fall, I will be attending UW-Madison and majoring in Mechanical Engineering. After I graduate, I plan to work with car manufacturers and design their cars. When I was a kid, I loved cars and I still do today. Cars are what motivate me and I hope to work with them when I receive my Mechanical Engineering degree.

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 or mentor a robotics team as they work towards incorporating pneumatics in their designs. This year 16 judges from 13 NFPA member companies reviewed 50 student applications to the Fluid Power Scholarship program. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Haley Nemeth at hnemeth@nfpa.com.