Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner—Cole Rickerson

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 $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing fluid power technology fields of study.

Here’s one of the winnersCole Rickerson. He is attending Texas A&M University and is enrolled in the Industrial Distribution Engineering program. We asked Cole about winning the scholarship . . .

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?
Winning the Fluid Power Scholarship is a huge blessing to me. As a student who is paying through my tuition on my own, this allows me to focus more of my time on my studies instead of working while classes are in session. The scholarship will relieve a huge portion of the stress that incurs with paying my tuition.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
I chose to study classes related to the fluid power industry because of the relevance to my current job. I currently work for Nalco Water working with increasing pump efficiency, as well as moving water from point A to point B. This scholarship goes hand and hand with what I am currently doing.

What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?
My current career aspirations are to become an engineer for Nalco Water. I am currently interning for them and I have decided that it would make a great job for me outside of college. Within the company I would like to become a manager of accounts.

The Foundation’s goal is to help individuals enrolled in high schools, technical colleges, and engineering schools pursue their interests in fluid power. We are now accepting applications for the 2020 Fluid Power Scholarships through March 18, 2020For further information about the Fluid Power Scholarship program, contact Amy Zignego, Workforce Program Manager, at azignego@nfpa.com.

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