Engineering students receive $10,000 gift to pay down student loans

The University of Akron News

04/28/2023

Pictured left to right are 2023 Trajectory Award recipients Marian Bonto, Nicholas Tolson, Juliana McGaffic, Britney Gadd, Ella Brinkman, Christian Reilly, Sarah Robinson, Ian Tanner, Claudia Miller and Cory Ramsey.

On April 27, ten graduating seniors in the College of Engineering and Polymer Science were honored at the annual Trajectory Awards Ceremony held in the Jean Hower Tabor Student Union. Each award winner received $10,000 directly applied to pay back federal student loan debt, and to date, $1.1 million has been given to students since the award’s establishment in 2012.

The award winners demonstrated the qualities honored by the Trajectory Awards: achievement in academic and extracurricular, co-curricular, civic, and volunteer activities, and the potential to become future community leaders. Students were selected based on faculty and staff nominations and letters of recommendation from co-op supervisors.

“We are grateful to the donors of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science Trajectory Awards for the support they so generously give to help our students launch their careers with reduced student loan debt,” said Dr. Joan Carletta, Associate Dean at the College of Engineering and Polymer Science. “Our award winners are talented student leaders who have made significant contributions to life at UA and the wider community in ways that are as unique and individual as they are — helping other students and the College along the way.”

At the awards ceremony, the students personally thanked the Northeast Ohio couple who generously endowed this award and shared with them lessons learned in business and life.

Congratulations to the 2023 Trajectory Award recipients: