Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner – James Oosterhouse

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, James Oosterhouse, is attending the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. We asked James a few questions about winning the scholarship.

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?

This scholarship is a testament to how important Fluid Power is to our world today. I am so thankful for the support it provides me as it allows me to better study advanced fluid power techniques at the University of Michigan. It makes me excited to continue to learn, as well as pursue my career in a field that has such wonderful people and an organization like the NFPA!

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
My experience in FIRST Robotics drove me to a career in fluid power after I saw its effectiveness on our robots. Due to that experience, I have gotten to work in project engineering at Koops Automation Systems, where I use fluid power every day! Its power and consistency is the key to our success in the industry, and I look forward to learning more about it.

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

I would like to continue my path in the automation industry after college, where I will continue to design and use fluid power in our machines. I would like to become a leader in both my company as well as the fluid power industry and be a force for innovation. I am excited about how my higher education will catapult my career in fluid power.

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.