Student Scholarship Winners

SWANA’s International Scholarship Committee chooses the student scholarship winners.

SWANA is excited to announce the 2020 scholarship winners. This year, SWANA’s International Scholarship Committee awarded $5,000 scholarships to four students. The scholarships fall under three categories: Category I for graduating high school seniors, Category II for undergraduate juniors or seniors pursuing a degree in a field related to solid waste management, and the Robert P. Stearns/SCS Engineers Scholarship for students entering or already enrolled in a graduate program and pursuing a degree in environmental science, engineering or other major related to solid waste management.

Category I Winners:

Laura Hack, North Carolina Chapter, attending Western Carolina University, was selected for the Category I Scholarship. Ms. Hack is considering majors in English and Graphic Design and submitted an essay about opportunities to facilitate communication in the solid waste industry, specifically in the area of proper recycling.

Cameron Mains, Washington Evergreen Chapter, attending University of Washington, was selected for the Category I Scholarship. Mr. Mains is enrolling in a Mechanical Engineering program. His essay focused on capturing and using landfill gas, while at the same time educating people to reuse and recycling more.

Category II Winner:

Maura Ross, a SWANA student member of the Indiana Hoosier Chapter, is participating in a dual degree program between Butler University and Indiana University/Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI) studying environmental studies and energy engineering. She also completed a semester study abroad program at the Lulea (Sweden) Tekniska Universitet. Ms. Ross, originally from Charles Town, West Virginia, was selected to receive the Category II Scholarship.

The Robert P. Stearns/SCS Engineers Scholarship Winner:

Holly Griffith, a University of Washington graduate, is currently an international SWANA student member studying Environmental Management and Policy in the International Institute of Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University in Sweden. Before returning to her studies, Ms. Griffith had worked as a full-time Program Coordinator for the University of Washington Recycling program and as an Associate Program Manager for Ecova’s Waste Consulting Department. She also served four years on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for Seattle Public Utilities.  Ms. Griffith was chosen to win the Robert P. Stearns/SCS Engineers Scholarship.

These students were chosen from 40 total applications from 26 chapters and SWANA’s international membership. Committee members spent quite a bit of time evaluating applications and discussing both evaluation scores and rankings of all candidates in each category. “The quality of the applications is impressive and continues to raise the bar for future years,” said SWANA Deputy Executive Director Sara Bixby, who supports the Committee. “Reviewing the applications – and especially the essays submitted by the applicants – is a highlight each year. We have to find ways to encourage these young people to work in our industry.,”

The next round of funding will open in early 2021.  For more information, visit https://swana.org/community/awards-scholarships/scholarships-internships.