Meet a Fluid Power Scholarship Winner—Zoe Kulphongpatana

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, Zoe Kulphongpatana. She is attending the University of Kansas and is enrolled in the engineering program. We asked Zoe about winning the scholarship…

What does winning a Fluid Power Scholarship mean to you?
Winning this scholarship is a great honor because it means that my hard work and the hours I have spent studying and developing my skills have paid off. This scholarship shows me that I am on the right path towards an impactful future, and will help me obtain my mechanical engineering degree and ultimately pursue a career in fluid power. I know that with this scholarship, I will be able to reach my goals and make a difference with my career.

Why did you choose to learn about fluid power?
I first became interested in fluid power when I learned about pneumatic systems while designing and building on my robotics team. I was fascinated by how intricate fluid power systems are, and want to know more about how to make such systems more energy and cost efficient in order to provide this world with cleaner energy.

What are your career aspirations? What type of fluid power job do you hope to get after you graduate?
I intend to become a mechanical engineer and hope to work on projects designing fluid power systems and applying them to new or existing products. I also hope to specialize in making such fluid power systems more cost or energy efficient in order to reduce the resources needed to run them. I also have leadership aspirations and hope to potentially lead teams as a project manager as I progress through my career.

The Foundation’s goal is to help individuals enrolled in high schools, technical colleges, and engineering schools pursue their interests in fluid power. We will start accepting applications for the 2021 Fluid Power Scholarships on January 1, 2021. For further information about the Fluid Power Scholarship program, contact Amy Zignego, Workforce Program Manager, at azignego@nfpa.com.