Graduate Earns Engineering Scholarship - Wayne Community College | Goldsboro, NC

Graduate Earns Engineering Scholarship

July 16, 2021

Evan Stahl is the first Wayne Community College graduate to receive a scholarship to transfer into East Carolina University’s engineering program.

Stahl was awarded a “PIRATES” scholarship that will provide up to $10,000 per year for two years of study in ECU’s College of Engineering and Technology.

three people stand in front of a large WCC logo
Arts and Sciences Division Dean Brandon Jenkins and Math Department Chair Laura Buddin congratulate Evan Stahl for being the first WCC graduate to receive a scholarship from East Carolina University’s PIRATES in Engineering program.

The funds are from the Providing Inclusive Residential and Transfer Experience Scholarship (PIRATES) in Engineering program at the university.

Stahl earned his associate in science degree from WCC in May.

He said that WCC prepared him to begin working toward a bachelor in science in Engineering degree with an Electrical concentration at ECU.

“WCC was very rigorous. It kind of made me blossom,” Stahl said. “I started studying three hours a night for precalculus and that got me set for the rest.”

After ECU he hopes to enter the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School with an eye toward becoming a pilot. He is also interested in a career in aerospace engineering.

“Electrical engineering will be very valuable to understanding onboard systems,” Stahl said.

“I am stoked,” Stahl said. “It would have been pretty hard to go to college without this scholarship.”

In addition to scholarships for students who transfer into ECU, the program provides $3,000 annual scholarships for low-income students enrolled in WCC’s Associate in Engineering program who plan to transfer into an engineering degree program at ECU.

The program was made possible by a $4 million grant to East Carolina University’s College of Engineering and Technology from the National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Program.

More information about the PIRATES in Engineering Scholarship or WCC’s Associate in Engineering degree program can be found at www.waynecc.edu/programs/engineering/or by contacting Engineering Instructor Sam Pouryoussefi at 919-739-6966 orsmpouryoussefi@waynecc.edu.

About WCC
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 140 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves. Connect with WCC at waynecc.edu.

About ECU

East Carolina University, or ECU as it is best known, offers more than 85 bachelor’s, 72 master’s, and 19 doctoral degrees to nearly 29,000 students on its Greenville, North Carolina, campus and through an acclaimed online learning program.

The Department of Engineering, which resides in the School of Engineering and Technology, is accredited by the ABET, Inc. Engineering Accreditation Commission. It has approximately 550 students served by 28 faculty members who represent 21 fields of engineering. ECU offers a bachelor of science degree in Engineering with six concentrations: Biomedical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Learn more about the ECU Department of Engineering on its website.

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