Skyler Austen
I am writing to thank you and the USSVI Charitable Foundation for your generous financial support of my educational pursuits. I am honored to have been selected as a two-time recipient of the award, which has enabled me to further my studies at the University of Central Arkansas. I recently completed the first semester of my sophomore year, and the financial security your scholarship provides has enabled me to succeed in my classes and extracurriculars without the burden of an off-campus job. Since I last wrote to USSVI, much has happened that I'm excited to share. I've progressed further in my studies of a double major in computer science and cybersecurity, and I'm about to begin writing an undergraduate thesis for my minor in honors interdisciplinary studies. I also began serving as the Computer Science department's tutor, and I absolutely love the work I do in this position. I'm able to lead hands-on demonstrations and assist students in their first two years of the program. Plus, working in that position has helped me understand my own coding practices better, which has shaped me into a better programmer and student. Thanks to your scholarship, I was able to wait to start the position a few weeks into the semester and still be able to pay for books. The stability it provided in those first two weeks proved incredibly useful in beginning the new semester.
This academic year, I've also had the pleasure of serving as President of both the Computer Science and Cybersecurity Clubs. Since taking leadership of the Computer Science Club, I've doubled the number of outside speakers that visit the club to better prepare members for the challenges they will face after graduation. I've also diversified the types of speakers we bring in, began ACM re-accreditation for the club, and achieved record attendance numbers since the club was officially founded in 2009. Presently, I'm working closely with a few of my fellow students and several of the major tech companies in Conway to host a department-wide hackathon that will prepare students by facing them with a practical interdisciplinary development challenge. I also founded the Cybersecurity Club at the beginning of last semester and was elected to President shortly after that. Through the club, I've been able to represent UCA in an official capacity to a number of companies in the Conway area that have subsequently brought their cybersecurity operations to Conway thanks to our new degree program. Perhaps the achievement I'm most proud of from last year is when members of the Cybersecurity Club participated in a cybersecurity competition against 35 other teams from around the state and tied for fourth, beating the IT teams from companies like Edafio and Dillards in the process. I was a very proud president that day, to say the least.
Finally, I've had the immense pleasure of giving back to the university and community this year. I serve as a volunteer mentor to the freshman class of the university's Schedler Honors College, helping to plan events for, tutor, and assist these highly gifted students as they transition into the challenging world of higher education. I also serve as an ambassador for the university, representing our college to high school students across the state and providing tours of campus to prospective students and their parents. Off-campus, I primarily volunteer with three different organizations in my spare time. On Monday nights, I work with a local Boy Scout troop as an assistant scoutmaster. As an Eagle Scout, I've found this work to often be the highlight of my week. On Thursday evenings, I volunteer as a tutor for a local organization that serves at-risk children in the Conway area. The work I've done here, in conjunction with what I've experienced as the computer science department tutor, has encouraged me to pursue graduate school in hopes of one day teaching computer science at the university level. I'll certainly keep you all updated on how that pans out. Finally, on Saturday mornings, I volunteer as the "IT wizard" for a local VITA tax clinic that assists primarily undocumented immigrants and study-abroad students file their taxes given their unique tax situation. My grandfather always held a strong passion for technology, education, and volunteerism, and I sincerely believe his excellent example lead me to value these things so highly. Although college keeps me away from home a few weeks at a time, I still give tours of USS Razorback every weekend that I can. It is my distinct personal honor to share with others the legacy and importance of the United States submarine service through a living piece of submarine history.
Looking forward to the near future, I'll most likely either be interning in Conway, taking summer classes at the university, or both. I was able to secure a 4.0 GPA last semester despite a nineteen-credit hour course load, and that would've been far more challenging had I needed to worry about paying for those classes. The USSVI Scholarship has helped me buy all of my books this academic year and may assist even further by paying for a significant portion of one of my summer classes. Thank you again for your generosity. It genuinely means the world, and I'm honored to be a scholarship recipient from an organization my grandfather held in such high regard. The friends he made through his submarine service and through USSVI were some of his closest, and they truly made his final years ones of peace and comradery. Your scholarship may have a precise value, but what your organization did for my grandfather is priceless.
Sincerely,
Skyler Austen
This academic year, I've also had the pleasure of serving as President of both the Computer Science and Cybersecurity Clubs. Since taking leadership of the Computer Science Club, I've doubled the number of outside speakers that visit the club to better prepare members for the challenges they will face after graduation. I've also diversified the types of speakers we bring in, began ACM re-accreditation for the club, and achieved record attendance numbers since the club was officially founded in 2009. Presently, I'm working closely with a few of my fellow students and several of the major tech companies in Conway to host a department-wide hackathon that will prepare students by facing them with a practical interdisciplinary development challenge. I also founded the Cybersecurity Club at the beginning of last semester and was elected to President shortly after that. Through the club, I've been able to represent UCA in an official capacity to a number of companies in the Conway area that have subsequently brought their cybersecurity operations to Conway thanks to our new degree program. Perhaps the achievement I'm most proud of from last year is when members of the Cybersecurity Club participated in a cybersecurity competition against 35 other teams from around the state and tied for fourth, beating the IT teams from companies like Edafio and Dillards in the process. I was a very proud president that day, to say the least.
Finally, I've had the immense pleasure of giving back to the university and community this year. I serve as a volunteer mentor to the freshman class of the university's Schedler Honors College, helping to plan events for, tutor, and assist these highly gifted students as they transition into the challenging world of higher education. I also serve as an ambassador for the university, representing our college to high school students across the state and providing tours of campus to prospective students and their parents. Off-campus, I primarily volunteer with three different organizations in my spare time. On Monday nights, I work with a local Boy Scout troop as an assistant scoutmaster. As an Eagle Scout, I've found this work to often be the highlight of my week. On Thursday evenings, I volunteer as a tutor for a local organization that serves at-risk children in the Conway area. The work I've done here, in conjunction with what I've experienced as the computer science department tutor, has encouraged me to pursue graduate school in hopes of one day teaching computer science at the university level. I'll certainly keep you all updated on how that pans out. Finally, on Saturday mornings, I volunteer as the "IT wizard" for a local VITA tax clinic that assists primarily undocumented immigrants and study-abroad students file their taxes given their unique tax situation. My grandfather always held a strong passion for technology, education, and volunteerism, and I sincerely believe his excellent example lead me to value these things so highly. Although college keeps me away from home a few weeks at a time, I still give tours of USS Razorback every weekend that I can. It is my distinct personal honor to share with others the legacy and importance of the United States submarine service through a living piece of submarine history.
Looking forward to the near future, I'll most likely either be interning in Conway, taking summer classes at the university, or both. I was able to secure a 4.0 GPA last semester despite a nineteen-credit hour course load, and that would've been far more challenging had I needed to worry about paying for those classes. The USSVI Scholarship has helped me buy all of my books this academic year and may assist even further by paying for a significant portion of one of my summer classes. Thank you again for your generosity. It genuinely means the world, and I'm honored to be a scholarship recipient from an organization my grandfather held in such high regard. The friends he made through his submarine service and through USSVI were some of his closest, and they truly made his final years ones of peace and comradery. Your scholarship may have a precise value, but what your organization did for my grandfather is priceless.
Sincerely,
Skyler Austen