With the scholarship and internship opportunities available to students these days, it's hard to keep track of everything offered. However, with the help of SDSU’s Office of Academic Scholarships (OAS), more students are learning about ways to enhance their college experience.

"Oftentimes students do not know they can compete for scholarships or internships," said Patti Scott, OAS director. "Our job is to reach out to students and help them by providing the necessary resources."

Honorable mention

The OAS serves as a resource for students like Devin Wakefield. Wakefield heard about the Goldwater Scholarship Award, a prestigious scholarship awarded to American sophomores and juniors, via OAS. The award is based on academic merit in mathematics, science and engineering. Wakefield was the first SDSU student to receive an honorable mention for the award.

He is also one of two undergraduates selected to participate in summer research internships in Germany through the Research Internship in Science and Engineering (RISE) program.

Rising above the rest

Created in 2005, RISE places students in summer research internships at German universities and research institutions. RISE interns assist doctoral students, who also serve as their mentors.

Summer internships like RISE are perfect for students who want to study abroad, but do not want to prolong graduation by taking a semester off. Caroline Davis is one such student, and she will be in Aachen, Germany, from mid-June through mid-August.

"I hope that through this experience I'll be more equipped to handle research, not only for the classes I still have to take, but also for future career plans."

Preparing for a scientific career

Having a personal mentor was a unique aspect of RISE that drew Wakefield to the program. Wakefield said his SDSU coursework gave him a solid background and prepared him to work on his mentor's project.

For Wakefield, who will be in Dortmund, Germany, starting in June, this internship will be significant preparation for the research he will encounter as a graduate student and professional scientist.  

"As a science undergraduate, I seek meaningful and practical research experiences," Wakefield said. "Scientific development in Germany ranks among the world's best."

Students like Wakefield and Davis serve as another example of how SDSU students are enriching their college experience and pursuing a global future.