Alumni Association Scholarship Recipient for 2022: Michael Nowak

This year's alumni association scholarship recipient is Michael Nowak '24. Michael is an electrical engineering major and very involved with a number of activities on campus. Michael's mom, Arlene Nowak PharmD '00, attended Wilkes and it inspired him to look more closely at Wilkes in his college search.

Learn more about Michael in the Q&A below!

Major, expected graduation year, clubs/involvement on campus.
My major is Electrical Engineering with a minor in Computer Engineering and I plan to graduate in 2024.
I am a member of the Honors Program Peer Mentoring group, President of the Resident Hall Council (RHC), Secretary of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Secretary of the Engineering Students Activities Committee (ESAC), Lead Ambassador at the Wilkes Undergraduate Admissions Office, and a TA/Tutor for the Electrical Engineering and Physics Department.

What is your favorite thing about Wilkes?
My favorite thing about Wilkes are the small class sizes and the Honors Program. With the small class sizes, I am able to meet and recognize more people in my classes. This is helpful in general education classes, where I have the opportunity to work with students outside of engineering if group work is required. But more importantly, this is important for classes within my major. This allowed me to meet a lot of other engineering students, and this helped us form study groups and get to know each other better for group projects. Without the Honors Program, I would not have made the connections I have. A good portion of my initial friends were through the Honors Program while living in Waller Hall, and the ability to study in the honors office and the honors lounge is fantastic, too. Also, it is interesting when I am participating in other activities at Wilkes, and I meet other students at them to find out that they are also members of the Honors Program. In my opinion, the Wilkes University Honors Program is a great family to be a part of at Wilkes University. Even if you are not a member but have a handful of friends in it, you still are treated as part of the family. 

What has been your most rewarding opportunity here at Wilkes?
My most rewarding opportunity at Wilkes has been working with the Undergraduate Admissions Office. The amount of connections I have made and the skills I have learned at the office have been super helpful in my life. I know people across different majors, whom I would not have met in my program due to my curriculum. The Admissions Counselors, Admissions Staff, and all of the other Ambassadors are great people, and they have all contributed to my life in some way. Through giving tours at the Admissions Office, I have learned how to improve my public speaking and communications. I have also learned how to stay organized and how to think quickly at the office, when I am working on phone calls and need to give the student or parent an answer to their question. Finally, I have also learned how to be a leader and how to watch over a small group through being a Lead Ambassador at the Admissions Office.  

What are your plans for the future?
For my future career-wise, I plan to finish my bachelors degree at Wilkes University and find a company to work at after graduation. Potentially during my job, I want to be able to get my Masters degree in some engineering or physics related field to get a better understanding of a certain course area I find interesting or that would help me at my current job. With this career path, my goal is to be a lead engineer for a company and be able to work on projects and problems that would make me feel accomplished in life when I retire. After I retire from my job or during the last few years of my jobs, I want to be an adjunct professor at a college or university for their engineering or physics department because I want to help students develop a love for engineering and show them what their opportunities are in engineering. Outside of my career, I hope to stay close to my family and have a family of my own. I also want to be able to help with local sports programs, such as baseball or basketball, to teach children or teenagers what I know about those sports. 

Do you have a role model? If so, who is it?
My role model is my mom. She has faced a lot of adversity in her life, especially when she went back to school to change her career path to become a pharmacy student at Wilkes University. She has also made a lot of sacrifices for my siblings and I to be involved in a lot of activities, and she has always been our number one supporter every step of the way. 

How does receiving the alumni scholarship help you and your family?
As I have a twin brother and younger sister who are both in college now, this scholarship will help to take some relief off my parents who are helping to pay and helping us to find ways to pay for college. My mom and dad are almost finished paying back their student loans, so this will help to reduce any more years of student loan payments that my mom and dad are making. 

What is the best advice you would give to underclassmen?
It is good to join a few clubs on campus or get involved with research early because this will create connections with other underclassmen and even upperclassmen that will help you for the rest of your academic and post-graduate career. You do not need to know everyone at Wilkes, but it is beneficial to know a solid handful of people to have those connections and resources. 

 
What do you do for fun?
In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and relaxing with my family. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, and doing outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and bicycle riding.