Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner – Connor Stonerock

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, Connor Stonerock, is attending Ohio University. We asked Connor a few questions about winning the scholarship.

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?

Winning the Fluid Power Scholarship means a lot to me. I have been through a couple major changes, and this will help take some weight off my shoulders. I’m extremely grateful to have been chosen as a recipient, and for everything the NFPA does as an organization.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been around and used fluid power without thinking about it. Once I was introduced to my first hydraulics class, I began understanding and always wanting to know more. I also joined the hydraulics team for the NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, which only furthered my interest and understanding of the subject. 

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

I’m currently an intern as a manufacturing engineer and hope to end up in this field of work. Just in the amount of time I have spent as an intern, I have already been picturing how fluid power could improve processes and productivity in the workplace. I hope to be the engineer that integrates fluid power in everyday production to make improvements for not only the company, but for the employees there too. 

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.