Jacob Lawless, a Natural Gas Compression Technologies student from the School of Engineering & Construction Technologies has received the Work Ethic Scholarship, from the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, to help fund his education at OSU Institute of Technology.
According to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation website, this scholarship is not for the average person. They explain this scholarship is intended for those who show up early, stay late and work hard day in and day out.
Lawless, who is planning to graduate this spring, said the scholarship was recommended by a mentor and that he should apply.
“It sounded like the type of scholarship I wanted to be a part of, so I applied,” said Lawless. “I was super excited when I found out that I had received the scholarship.”
The Work Ethic Scholarship Program is about recognizing people who understand the importance of personal responsibility, delayed gratification, a positive attitude and work ethic.
According to the website, the scholarship is designed for “The hardworking people who keep the lights on, water running and air flowing—the next generation of skilled workers who will work smart and hard.”
“Coming to OSUIT was a better fit for me than going to a traditional four-year college,” said Lawless. “I enjoy working on things and I get to do that here while getting an education.”
Lawless said this will help him focus less on funding his education and provide more time to focus on graduating.
“This scholarship will help pay off my school so that I can focus more on school and less about having a job while in school,” said Lawless. “My goal is to get a career and be the best employee I can be. I am greatly appreciative of the opportunity to receive this scholarship.”
Lawless, like every other applicant, had a number of requirements to meet in order to apply for the scholarship including; being enrolled in an approved program, signing the S.W.E.A.T pledge, including two references from supervisors or instructors, answering four questions, making a short video, verifying school costs, providing high school and college transcripts and submitting financial information.
In 2008, Mike created the mikeroweWORKS Foundation to launch a national PR campaign for skilled labor.
“Our crumbling infrastructure, our widening skills gap, the disappearance of vocational education, and the stratospheric rise in college tuition—these are not problems,” Mike Rowe said. “These are symptoms of what we value. And right now, we have to reconnect the average American with the value of a skilled workforce. Only then, will the next generation aspire to do the work at hand.”