My name is Andrew Aumen. I am a senior chemistry major with a minor in mathematics here at Shippensburg. I am also the grateful recipient of a multitude of SU Foundation scholarships such as: The Robert M. and Virginia L. Walck Scholarship, the Clarence Schock Foundation Scholarship, the Dr. Louise J. Lienemann Chemistry Scholarship, and the Dr. James A. & Marry Jean Beres Research Endowment. The funding from these scholarships allows me to graduate from Shippensburg with very little debt, which is a situation very few students get to experience. We all know college isn’t cheap, and that is one of the many reasons I chose Shippensburg University as my home, because of the price tag. However, I can unequivocally say that these scholarships have shaped my education and they gave me the financial freedom to focus on my school work, and pursue other career related experiences.
As a direct result of the funding the SU Foundation has provided me from these generous benefactors, I was not forced to work a job and instead, I could focus completely on my education. This is clearly reflected in my 3.96 GPA and several departmental chemistry awards. Additionally, this funding has allowed me to be competitive for several national honors and research experiences. Last summer, I was selected into an extremely competitive National Nuclear Chemistry Summer School in San Jose, CA. This is a prestigious program funded by the American Chemical Society and the Department of Energy. This program allowed me to get exposure to nuclear chemistry, a topic that is unavailable at most institutions nationwide. This most recent summer I was accepted into another competitive research program called an REU, which stands for Research Experience for Undergraduates. This time I was at the University of Delaware, where I worked with Dr. Matthew Doty, and his research group, to develop and characterize a new material that could improve the efficiency of solar panels. In short, if I wouldn’t have received the scholarships from the SU Foundation to fund my education, I can guarantee you that I would not be nearly as distinguished as I am today. The generous funding that the SU Foundation provides is helping to create a generation of competitive students who can compete with students from other universities at the national level. With that being said, I want to thank all of you for having me here tonight, and to all of the benefactors, thank you for the scholarships you provide to students because that funding truly makes a difference in a student’s career. Thank you.