Each year the Merck Employees FCU awards six, $1,000 scholarships to deserving high school seniors heading off for higher learning. Applications come from across the US and the competition is steep. This year's applications were no different and the winners are all embarking on various higher education opportunities.
The winners and some information about each are below. Congratulations to the winners and best wishes to all of the applicants on their college journeys.
Akshay Krishnan
Akshay Krishnan
Lansdale, PA
North Penn High School
College Plans: Penn State Schreyer Honors College
Major: Chemical Engineering
“Ultimately, my choice of major in Chemical Engineering is not just about academic pursuit; it symbolizes a pathway to connect humanity with science, with the overarching goal of improving patients’ lives and making a positive impact on society.”
Joshua Kwasnik
Joshua Kwasnik
Metuchen, NJ
Union Catholic Regional High School
College Plans: Miami University, Xavior University, Seton Hall
University or Rutgers University
Major: Biology and Chemistry
“My main goal is to help others and give back as much as I can. I want to research and create new things that can benefit the world.”
Henry Szumigala
Henry Szumigala
Somerville, NJ
Somerville High School
College Plans: US Air Force Academy
“Honing and developing my piloting skills while also learning about flight and airpower as a student will greatly prepare me to become a pilot in the United States Air Force, fulfilling my dream to find a job in the skies.”
Hayley Thompson
Hayley Thompson
Deptford, NJ
Gloucester County Institute of Technology
College Plans: Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Major: Nursing
“My ideal future career is to become a labor and delivery nurse or a nurse midwife. A college education will allow me to pursue this career pathway by gaining valuable knowledge and experience in the medical field.”
Ellyn Wong
Ellyn Wong
Nazareth, PA
Nazareth Area High School
College Plans: Undecided
Major: Materials Science & Engineering
“In the future, I would like to do research on polymer recycling, biopolymers inspired by nature, or even material life cycle assessments to bring us a step closer to a circular economy (where manufacturing outputs become inputs elsewhere).”
Jerome Zhang
Jerome Zhang
Edison, NJ
John P Stevens High School
College Plans: Undecided
Major: Computer Science/Engineering
“A college education will help me obtain a holistic understanding of the implications of joining together the fields of AI and medicine in a way that will be both financially feasible and ethically favorable for society as a whole.”
