Dallas Post Foundation Scholarships

Dallas Post Foundation Scholarships

After January 2025, the Dallas Post Foundation will open scholarship application opportunities for the 2025-2026 school year.  Categories will include High School, Undergraduate, Veteran Undergraduate. Application deadline will be May 2, 2025.  For more information, contact Julie Fisher, F.SAME, juliefisher2011@yahoo.com.

2024 Accomplishments

Recently, the SAME Dallas Post Foundation solicited electronic scholarship applications and we are thrilled to
announce we received ten outstanding applications in three categories: high school, undergraduate, and the newly
instituted, inaugural Dallas Post Veteran Undergraduate category. Eight Dallas Post Board and Committee Members
volunteered to evaluate and discuss candidates. These volunteers include Ben Matthews, F.SAME; Marv Fisher,
F.SAME; Fabian Mendoza; Reid Mrsny, F. SAME; Jeff Davis, F.SAME; Jennifer Lawson; Jack Tidwell; and Julie
Fisher, F.SAME. Thank you to our volunteers who carefully reviewed these applications and made the very tough
choice of selecting this year’s recipients.

The evaluations resulted in the award of six scholarships, 3 high school, 2 undergraduate, and 1 Veteran
undergraduate. These recipients are being invited to join the monthly Dallas Post luncheon on June 17, 2024, at
Maggiano’s Plano. We encourage our Post members and guests to register and join us to congratulate these
recipients and celebrate our continued efforts to grow and mentor our next generation of STEM professionals. This
process achieves several Objectives of the Goals within our SAME Strategic Plan and are critical pillars of our SAME
Mission and Vision building the pipeline of our Society’s future.

Graduating high school recipients, who will receive a $2,500 scholarship payable over the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026
school years, include Jake Adams, Richardson ISD; Aadi Vasa, Frisco ISD; and Aiden Johnson, Prosper ISD.

Caroline Reynal, Texas A&M, a past recipient of Dallas Post Foundation scholarships, will receive a one-time award
of $2,500 in the undergraduate category. Collin Rickets, University of North Texas, is the second ranked applicant in
our Veteran category and will receive a $1,000 one-time award in the undergraduate category.

The highest ranked Veteran applicant James McKinley, University of North Texas, will receive a one-time
scholarship in the amount of $4,000. It is important to note that several of our Dallas Post members are donating
personal funds totaling $2,000 to match the Post Foundation funds of $2,000, resulting in the $4,000 inaugural
Veteran scholarship. These individual donors include Dave Reynolds, USAF (Ret) F.SAME; Ben Matthews, USAF,
F.SAME; Marv Fisher, USAF (Ret) F.SAME; and Julie Fisher, F.SAME.

Please join us in congratulating the 2024 recipients!! These deserving students provide confidence we remain on the
right path in mentoring and developing the next generation of STEM professionals in our industry.

Testimonial from past recipient:

Dear Society of American Military Engineers Dallas Chapter,

I’d like to again thank you for the scholarship money that is affording me to attend one of the nation’s top cybersecurity colleges – Purdue University. The purpose of this letter is to let you know how my first year went. Below is a list of the courses I completed, and I have separated the cybersecurity specific ones.

I completed my freshman year with a 4.0 GPA; and, because of my high school AP classes I already have 71 credits out of the 120 needed and am 59% done with my cybersecurity degree.

Since we last spoke, I have decided to pursue a second major in Computer and Information Networking Technology; however I am still on a 4-year course plan for completing both degrees.

Although I have not entered the professional workforce yet, I do appreciate the value of money, and am grateful for the generosity your members show in giving these scholarships. I hope the success in my freshman year shows that I worked hard and put your money to good use.

Kindest Regards,

Bryan Chew

Cybersecurity courses freshman year: 

• Information Technology Architecture 
• System and Organizational Security

• Cybersecurity Fundamental
• Database Fundamentals
• Object-Oriented Programming

Other courses taken: 

• Design Thinking in Technology

• Applied Calculus II
• Critical Thinking and Communication II

• Statistical Methods
• Elementary Psychology
• Science Elective