2009 Oct 20
For Immediate Release
GATEWAY CC HYDROLOGIC STUDIES STUDENT EARNS NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP - Prestigious WRD Retirees Scholarship awarded to GateWay student
PHOENIX, Arizona – The GateWay Hydrologic Studies program is proud to announce that sophomore Lisa Ashmore was recently awarded a $1,500 scholarship from the WRD Retirees organization, a national group of retirees from the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water Resources Division. Since 2006, the WRD Retirees organization has recognized outstanding students training to become hydrologic technicians through annual scholarships. In addition to Ashmore, students from GateWay's Hydrologic Studies program won the nationally recognized scholarship in 2006 and 2008 as well.
"Hydrologic Technicians enjoy a well-deserved reputation of delivering high-quality data products that meet local, state, and national needs. Praise for these employees comes from groups both internal and external to the USGS," cites the WRD Retirees' official Web site, www.wrdretirees.org. "These folks are often referred to as the 'backbone' of the water program. To honor these fine folks, WRD Retirees created a scholarship program for Hydrologic Technicians."
To earn the scholarship, Ashmore wrote an essay about her experience in GateWay's hydrologic studies program and why she wanted to work for the USGS after graduation. She found out about the scholarship opportunity during an internship this past summer at the Montana Water Science Center.
"During my internship, my supervisor gave me real work experience so that I could make sure that being a hydrologic technician was something I really wanted to do," she said. "It was a big learning experience and, thanks to my internship and the help from this scholarship, I am ready to finish my education here at GateWay and truly know that I want to enter the field."
After graduation, Ashmore hopes to work for the USGS and continue her education by earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She added that she chose the hydrologic studies program at GateWay because she was looking for a job where she could help the environment and believes that being a hydrologic technician is a great start to an environmental career.
"The fact that GateWay students have earned this scholarship three times serves as a recognition to our students for the hard work they do and is an acknowledgment to the quality of our program," said Mario Castaneda, Hydrologic Studies program director.
To learn more about GateWay's Hydrologic Studies program, visit www.gatewaycc.edu/Programs/HydrologicStudies/, and WRD Retirees Scholarship program, visit www.wrdretirees.org/scholarships.htm.