Two undergraduate engineering students from Memorial received a significant financial boost recently when they became the first recipients of the Peter Kohler Scholarship.

Third-year ocean and naval architectural engineering student Mark Elliott and second-year mechanical engineering student Brandon Fitzpatrick were chosen from more than 40 applicants from Atlantic Canada to receive the substantial award. Mr. Elliott will receive $15,000 for the 2013-14 academic year and again in the 2014-15 academic year, which will be his final year, while Mr. Fitzpatrick will receive $5,000 for the 2013-14 academic year and $15,000 per year for the final two years of his program.

Both students are very thankful to receive the awards. While they say the funding means eating better and increased time for their academics, it’s more about working hard every day to be the very best they can be.

“Being the best one can be is so important, because it will become a habit,” said Mr. Elliott. “You will gain more respect. Eventually, you will aim to do better at everything you do and that attitude will lead to success. I am extremely gracious to receive this recognition and very proud to be a recipient of the Peter Kohler Scholarship.”

For Mr. Fitzpatrick, his motivation comes from a very important person in his life: his mother.

“My mother has always motivated me to do my best and I strive to be the very best I can be every day because of her,” he said. “Winning this scholarship motivates me to work harder to make it to the end of my program. I am very grateful to Mr. Kohler for the opportunities that this award has given me.”

Andy Fisher, associate dean, undergraduate engineering, believes that scholarships like the Peter Kohler Scholarship have far greater impact than just a financial one for students like Mr. Elliott and Mr. Fitzpatrick.

“We are very proud of Mark and Brandon," he said. "We encourage all of our students to aim for the top and to never underestimate themselves. Earning financial awards, such as the Peter Kohler Scholarship, helps build confidence in young adults and teaches them that hard work does pay off in the end."

The Peter Kohler Scholarship is administered through the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia. It is a scholarship fund for engineering students in Atlantic Canada, and to be eligible, applicants must be enrolled full-time in an engineering program at a university in Atlantic Canada. The scholarship is based upon academic standing and financial need, and is eligible to be renewed by the award winner for up to four years, provided that the student maintains a reasonable standing in his/her program.