Three Park Scholars for the Class of 2020 select ECE

North Carolina State University’s Park Scholarships program has named 40 students to its Class of 2020, with three of them selecting to study in ECE.

North Carolina State University’s Park Scholarships program has named 40 students to its Class of 2020, with three of them selecting to study in ECE.

“Twenty years ago, NC State named its first 25 Park Scholars – the Class of 2000,” said Park Scholarships director Eva Feucht. “Two decades and nearly seventeen classes of graduates later, the Park Scholarships have created a vibrant network of leaders who are creating meaningful and lasting change in service to society, and we are excited to welcome the 1,000th Park Scholar to their ranks. Our alumni include scores of health care providers, lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs and business leaders, nonprofit personnel and public servants, designers, architects, scientists, engineers, members of the U.S. Armed Services, and much more. The Class of 2020 joins a thriving community.”

Two students from North Carolina and one from Ohio proudly join the ranks of the Park Scholars and will be arriving this fall in the halls of Electrical & Computer Engineering to demonstrate their leadership qualities as they pursue their studies.

Amalan Krishna Iyengar, son of Sumathi and Sridhar Iyengar, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Amalan will graduate from East Chapel Hill High School where he is captain of the Robotics Team, president of the East Little Heroes Club, and varsity Science Olympiad medalist. He has also volunteered at the Shodor Educational Foundation, is a lead intern and was the U.S. representative at the 2015 World Youth Scrabble Championship, and received the Iceberg Award for Service to Duke Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Center for raising more than $20,000. Amalan plans to major in computer engineering.

Jonathan Schertz, son of Rick Schertz and Leah Dail, Cary, North Carolina. Jonathan will graduate from Cary High School where he is captain of the swim team, a member of Nation Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, and sings with the concert chorus and “Green Eggs and Jam” a capella group. He has been a youth leader on Appalachian Service Project, is very active in the youth ministry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Jonathan plans to major in computer and electrical engineering.

Jonathan Jeffrey Reese, son of Jeff and Susan Reese, Loveland, Ohio. Jonathan will graduate from Loveland High School where he is president of INTERalliance, vice president of National Honor Society, and director of engineering for the nonprofit STEMs for Youth. He also has been named a National Merit Semifinalist, has a perfect ACT score, and volunteers as a leadership intern at Camp Invention. Jon plans to major in electrical engineering.

The Park Scholarships are named for the late Roy H. Park ’31, an NC State alumnus who created the charitable Park Foundation, dedicated to education, media and the environment. In 1996, the Park Scholarships were established at NC State with a generous grant from the Park Foundation. To date, the Park Foundation has committed nearly $140 million to support the scholarship, including its September 2013 commitment of $50 million to begin an endowment at NC State. This endowment, with others’ support, will sustain the program in perpetuity. Thanks to generous contributions from additional donors, the Class of 2020 will include the first independently funded scholar.

The new class was selected from a record-setting pool of just over 2,000 outstanding applicants from 42 states and 97 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. A selection committee comprising more than 300 dedicated and talented NC State alumni, faculty and friends conducted application review, interviews and outreach.

The 21st class, representing nine states plus China, comprises student body presidents, varsity athletic team captains, Eagle Scouts, Girl Scout Gold Award recipients and National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Among the class members are an orchestra concertmaster, editors of school publications, numerous tutors and hospital volunteers, ambassadors of 4-H and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a nationally recognized woodworker, leaders of women’s empowerment groups, and a member of a citywide race relations forum. Their service work and philanthropic interests are both broad and deep; one provides support to homeless men with substance abuse, several volunteer with disabled children or repair homes for those in need, one teaches English to Chinese migrant children, another conducted research to aid divorcing families, and yet another coordinates the distribution of backpacks filled with school supplies to children in the foster care system.

The Park Scholarships program brings exceptional students to NC State based on outstanding accomplishments and potential in scholarship, leadership, service and character. The program develops and supports Park Scholars in these areas, preparing them for lifelong contributions to the campus, state, nation and world.

Park Scholarships include opportunities for innovative enrichment activities such as grants for undergraduate research and study abroad, making this award one of the most prestigious and comprehensive undergraduate scholarships in the nation.

For more information, visit the Park Scholarships website.