Student Success
Deserving Students Receive Prestigious Honor
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 10, 2024) – Wake Tech is pleased to announce the Scott Scholars for the 2023-24 academic year, Jennifer Aguilera and Usman Malik.
These deserving students will receive up to $3,500 to cover tuition, fees and books – along with a laptop, a summer internship placement, a mentor from senior administration and opportunities to participate in special projects and events. The merit-based Scott Scholarship is Wake Tech's most prestigious and sought-after honor, designed to provide leadership development opportunities for outstanding students in associate degree programs.
Jennifer Aguilera is a 23-year-old student from Dallas, Texas, who now lives in Morrisville. She is pursuing Associate in Arts and Associate in Fine Arts degrees. Aguilera hopes to work with first-generation high school students to expand their options and help them apply for financial aid and scholarships and prep for the transition between high school and higher education.
She is a member of the Student Government Association and serves on the college's DEI Council as a student representative, where she assisted in the development of a peer-to-peer tutoring program. Aguilera plans to use her position as a Scott Scholar to support her classmates.
"I want to use my natural leadership abilities to encourage my peers to use their love for their community to fuel their ambitions for a greater campus experience," she said.
Malik, 27, from Raleigh, is also interested in helping others. He volunteers at the Durham Community Food Pantry, mentors middle school students at his mosque and is a youth soccer coach. Malik also juggles a part-time job as he pursues Associate in Science and Associate in Engineering degrees. As a Scott Scholar, Malik says he hopes to better understand various cultures and develop his project management and leadership skills.
"I want to collaborate with people to find innovate solutions to challenging issues – with respect, humor and even a little fun," he said.
Malik says the scholarship will help him realize his dream of becoming a project manager: "My ultimate goal is to open a nonprofit to help people struggling with basic needs like food and water."
"We are so proud of our diverse students and their impressive goals," says Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. "Jennifer and Usman are wonderful examples of how students can dream big, expand their skill sets and serve others while realizing their dreams. They're very deserving of this honor."
The Scott Scholars program is named in honor of Wake Tech's third president, Stephen C. Scott, who retired in 2018 after 15 years at the helm of North Carolina's largest community college. It was established in 2012 with a $25,000 endowment from Wake Tech alumni Mark and Rachel Selisker. The program's goal is to raise $1,000,000 to support four Scott Scholars each academic year.
