Hydrologic Studies Students Earn National Scholarship

GateWay Water Resource Technologies students are receiving scholarships from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Division Retiree’s Association, which will help pay for tuition, fees and books. The three students are the latest recipients of the WRD Retiree Scholarship for Hydrologic Technicians. It is the largest number of GateWay students to be awarded the funding at one time and the largest scholarship awards to date.

Casey Lovato, along with Michael Buil and Jeffery Sallas, were selected from entries from students at participating USGS Water Science Centers. Lovato received $4,000, the highest of the three scholarships awarded. Buil and Sallas each received $2,000.

“The USGS provides internships to students at their facilities across the country as part of the curriculum, so students gain real world, hands-on experience, and it provides an opportunity to potentially be hired in a permanent capacity. The fact that GateWay students have earned this scholarship several times serves as recognition to our students for the hard work they do and is an acknowledgment to the quality of our program,” said Mario Castaneda, program director.

To earn the scholarship, all wrote an essay about their experiences in GateWay’s hydrologic studies program and why they wanted to work for the USGS after graduation.

Lovato, originally from Aztec, N.M., now living in Phoenix, completed a summer internship at the USGS Water Science Center in Portland, Ore. He values the experience and appreciates the fact that he got to work with his hands as well as outdoors.

“Everything that I was told about this profession appealed to me,” said Lovato. “It is an honor to receive the scholarship, and it’s nice to know it will fund the remainder of my schooling at GateWay.”

Buil, from Buffalo, N.Y., and Sallas, from Scottsdale, Ariz., agreed. “It was terrific applying what I learned in the classroom to the real world,” said Buil.

“I gained experience working with hydrologic instrumentation and worked with a great group of people from USGS,” said Sallas, who will continue to work for the USGS once he finishes the program in December 2011.

Lovato and his classmates were recognized by Vice President of Academic Affairs Paula Norby and Robert Swanson, director of the USGS Nebraska Water Science Center, during a ceremony, Sept. 13, at GateWay Community College.

Since 2006, the WRD Retiree organization has recognized outstanding students training to become hydrologic technicians through annual scholarships. GateWay’s Hydrologic Studies program can add the newest recipients to its record of student successes, including scholarship recipients from 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

“This scholarship came from the USGS retirees who poured their heart and soul into the organization,” said Swanson. “They wanted to offer a recognition of how important the work is and encourage the young hydrologic technicians who will replace them to continue making a difference in the profession.”

To learn more about GateWay’s Hydrologic Studies program, visit http://www.gatewaycc.edu/Programs/HydrologicStudies/.

To learn more about the WRD Retirees Scholarship program, visit http://www.wrdretirees.org/scholarships.htm.

Chris Lambrakis can be reached at lambrakis@gatewaycc.edu or (602) 286-8227.