Rino Nori University Scholarship

Designed exclusively for actively enrolled college students who fulfill the below criteria and provide evidence of eligibility.  To apply, students are required to submit an engaging essay on a compelling technology topic.  Applications are accepted annually in January, and award notifications typically occur in April/May.

This scholarship represents a remarkable chance to be recognized for your dedication and passion for technology, while gaining exposure to senior IT leaders in the process.

How Much? Award Amount is $2,500 Annually

Who is eligible?– all of below criteria must be met:

• • • FWSIM Member in good standing or their child (no AR balances)
    • Actively enrolled college student having achieved at least 45 total college credits, and pursuing their first Bachelor degree in any of the areas of STEM (including MIS/computer related).
    • Applicant must not have won this “FWSIM” award

When is the submission window?  Annually in the month of January.

How and what to submit?  All qualifying submissions must have the following 3 components:

• • • Application: Completed application (2023 FWSIM University Scholarship Application)
    • Transcript: Legible and complete copy of college transcript as of December 31 showing a cumulative GPA
    • Essay: Attachment of 1,500-2,500 word essay on the below topic:
      “What inspires you about technology or other STEM disciplines and its potential to impact our society?  Describe how you have personally demonstrated your passion for this both in and out of school.”

All three required components must be emailed to Anna Ransley, FWSIM Scholarship Chair (anna@ranetix.com) within the submission timeframe listed above, with a cc to the sponsoring FWSIM member.

If the applicant does not receive an email confirmation of submission receipt, they must contact Anna as soon as possible to prevent submissions from being filtered by spam or other filters.

How are the winners selected?  FWSIM members will evaluate and rank the essays; the awards will be based upon GPA (on a 4.0 basis) and essay rankings. In case of a tie the respective award will be shared amongst the winners.

What if I have more questions?  Please reach out to me via anna.@ranetix.com if you have any questions.

Winners:

2023 – Olivia Panos

Olivia (Liv) Panos is the daughter of our long time FWSIM board member, Jim Panos, the CIO at Central National Gottesman Inc. Liv is a first year student at Colorado College, planning to major in Neuroscience. She hopes to research mental health, and intends to bring a humanitarian perspective into the medical industry surrounding the treatment of mental illness, particularly in children. When she is not studying the brain, she loves the outdoors, especially hiking, mountaineering, and snowboarding. She is a trip leader for her school's Outdoor Education Department and is working on getting her Wilderness First Responder certification.

2023 – Katherine Rubich

Katherine (Kate) Rubich is the daughter of FWSIM member Steve Rubich. Kate is attending Colgate University in pursuit of an environmental Economics degree. Kate has always had a passion for STEM and is applying her love of math and the environment to create a sustainable future for our society.

2022 – Aundrea Lagana

Aundrea Lagana is the daughter of FWSIM member Matt Lagana.  At the time of receiving the scholarship, Aundrea was a second semester nursing student at Keiser University pursuing an accelerated bachelors degree in Nursing. Her goal is to attend graduate school after getting her RN license to become a Surgical Nurse Practitioner.
In addition to being a full time student, Aundrea works part time as a Veterinary Technician at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast on their surgery team, where her interest in the operating room sparked.

2021 – Matthew Lagana

Matthew Lagana is the son of FWSIM member Matt Lagana. At the time of receiving the scholarship Matthew was a sophomore at Florida State University, where he was majoring in their Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences program. His goal is to have a successful career in the field of medicine. In addition, he is an avid golfer and former captain of his high school golf team.

The following summer, Matthew was planning on doing an internship with Peak Wellness, Inc. in Greenwich, CT, where he was learning about the latest innovations in wellness-based medicine.