Jasmine Brown and Samantha Hiller, 18-year-olds from Lake Wales, Florida, are studying machining and engineering at Polk State College in Winter Haven with the help of the SME Education Foundation's Dr. Irving P. McPhail Endowed Scholarship, which they were awarded for the 2024-25 school year. In addition to receiving scholarships, both students took advantage of the SME Bright Minds Mentorship Program, which pairs SME Education Foundation Scholarship winners up with SME mentors.
“My middle school had a program with fabrication, so I just fell in love with it,” says Brown about her introduction to the field of manufacturing. “And our high school had very broad engineering technology, so we were able to test out what we liked. I personally fell more toward manufacturing.”
“I was about the same,” says Hiller. “I’ve always liked building things, so I got into the engineering technology class in high school. I fell in love with it there, so I’m continuing it now. It just felt right to go with that career choice.”
Currently, Hiller and Brown are enrolled in machine operating and programming courses at Polk State, which they started attending through dual enrollment while still at Lake Wales High School. Following high school graduation in June 2024, the two students decided to continue attending Polk State because they liked its program.
After completing her current courses, Brown plans to get a bachelor's degree in manufacturing engineering, then get a job at a leading manufacturing or engineering firm. Having volunteered at a local state park during high school, she developed a passion for the environment, and hopes to contribute to environmental welfare through her work while inspiring younger generations to do the same.
Hiller also plans to get a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering after completing her current courses. In the near term, she’d like to work for a company that will help her gain experience on different CNC platforms, but ultimately she wants a job that involves travel. “I want to experience many different cultures, and pick up skill sets from everywhere in manufacturing and engineering management,” she says.
Both Hiller and Brown say their SME Education Foundation Scholarships are very important. “They’re allowing us to further our education, and get degrees and knowledge that we want so that we can continue in this field,” says Brown.
As far as the SME Education Foundation Scholarship application process, Brown and Hiller say it was easy. “The previous year, one of our female classmates applied and got the scholarship, so we heard about it from our teacher, and he helped us through the process of applying for it,” says Brown.
As scholarship winners, Brown and Hiller were invited to attend SME’s International Awards Gala in Pittsburgh in early June — just a few days after graduating from high school.
“It was a great experience,” says Brown. “We got to write our own speeches, and that was very useful to me.”
“We got to hear many stories from the manufacturers who gave speeches, and it gave us an inside look into manufacturing,” adds Hiller. “It was very helpful.”