MEDIA, Pa. — Giovanni Hernandez-Rios, a third-year engineering student at Penn State Brandywine, received the Mueser Rutledge Wentworth and Johnston Scholarship from the New York City Post Scholarship Fund. The scholarship, endorsed by the Society of American Military Engineers, is awarded to engineering students who have had high academic achievement, including a high grade-point average.
Hernandez-Rios said receiving the scholarship was unexpected but served as a reminder of the effort he put into his coursework his first year.
“Personally, I did not expect to receive the scholarship, but it is a testament to the work I have put in for my classes in my first year,” he said. “Despite getting the scholarship, I do not feel like I am excelling, and so I want to continue working hard in classes, outside of classes and in my personal life to improve.”
Hernandez-Rios first learned about the scholarship from Nasibeh Zohrabi, assistant professor of engineering at Penn State Brandywine, while the two were talking about potential research opportunities.
“I first learned about this scholarship during research talks with Dr. Zohrabi. She mentioned to me that she was looking for students to nominate as candidates for the scholarship, and she thought I would be a good fit,” he said. “From there, I sent her the things necessary for her to nominate me.”
Hernandez-Rios was drawn to major in engineering, specifically with the multidisciplinary engineering option, because of its versatility and the ability to work across various engineering fields.
“I chose engineering because it seems like the career path that I would be most fulfilled with and enjoy. I have always enjoyed a large variety of subjects, but I chose engineering to pursue,” he said. “My multidisciplinary engineering option allows me to work with mechanical, electrical and computer engineering. I personally enjoy the broadness of the degree because it allows me to explore a variety of fields.”
While he does not point to a single experience that prepared him for the scholarship, Hernandez-Rios credits the supportive environment at Brandywine that helped him succeed.
“I think that my time at Brandywine and the people I have met definitely made it possible for me to succeed,” he said.
Faculty mentorship also played a key role in his academic journey. Hernandez-Rios expressed gratitude for the people in the Brandywine community he has met, especially Zohrabi.
“I think all my professors have had a positive experience in my academic journey. I have met a lot of people in college that I have been able to learn from, including professors, faculty, students and graduates that I have met,” he said. “I am thankful to all of them, and specifically thankful that Dr. Zohrabi nominated me as a candidate and for working with me on research.”
In addition to his academic work, Hernandez-Rios is actively involved on campus. He is a member of the American Sign Language Club, is in the Jane Cooper Honors Program, and he is in the early stages of research with Zohrabi, focusing on autonomous lane-following robots.