Graduation Date:  May 2023

Hometown: Frederick, MD

Major:  Electrical Engineering

Why I decided to enroll at the University of Maryland:  Upon my initial visit to the University of Maryland, I fell in love with the atmosphere and architecture of the school. This school felt like a home to me as I live only one hour away in Frederick, Maryland. The students and staff at this university are like no other, and I could not see myself at any other school.

Why I chose engineering:  From a young age, there were two goals I knew I must achieve in life: being an engineer and owning a business. Although I was unaware of what the business would be or how these two ideas could be meshed, I was driven to make this happen. As I aged, I found that I had a passion for the electrical trade, as I have been working for a commercial electrical company for the past three years. After my experience in this field and my passion for engineering, I decided to combine the two, thus I decided to be an electrical engineering major.

Activities I do outside of class:  Outside of class, I work to stay active whether I’m working out, running, or meeting up with friends to play some recreational sports. I am very passionate about "extreme sports" such as skiing and motocross. In my Science and Global Change Scholars program, we perform a lot of community service to help clean up our surrounding environment. I have a strong passion for keeping our beloved planet clean and ensuring it will be habitable for many generations to come.

Honors and awards I have received at Maryland:  Upon acceptance into the University of Maryland, I was also accepted into the Science and Global Change Scholars program. I received several grants: University of Maryland Grant, Pell Grant, and Rawlings EA Grant.

After graduation, I plan to:  After graduation, I will study and take my master's electricians license. I will be able to use this to begin the process of starting my electrical company. Using my degree, I will be able to approve prints, know how to perform all necessary calculations to determine the required size of services. I currently have close connections to government contract work. I will jump straight into this with my newly established company as a sub-contractor for the projects.

Letter:

Dear Ms. Duong, Dr. Nguyen and Mr. Nguyen:

I would like to greatly thank you for your generosity in funding the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Scholarship,  As a highly honored recipient of this award, it has helped propel me even closer to my goal of becoming an electrical engineer. I am a freshman electrical engineering student in the A . James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland.

From a young age, there were two goals I knew I must achieve in life: being an engineer and owning a business. Although I was unaware of what the business would be or how these two ideas could be meshed, I was driven to make this happen. As I aged, I found that I had a passion for the electrical trade, as I have been working for a commercial electrical company for the past three years. It was then that I realized that I could make both my dreams happen; starting my own electrical business, where I could apply my degree as an electrical engineer. Luckily, I was presented with the opportunity to pursue my dream by attending college at the University of Maryland. I currently am in the Science and Global Change Scholars program participating in a multitude of community service and volunteer work. Upon graduating from the university, I plan to take my master's electrician test and begin my journey of starting my own business.

As you may know, affording a college tuition and keeping up on payments is taxing event for a new college student. By receiving this scholarship, an immense amount of stress has been lifted from my shoulders. Knowing I now have access to financial support has only pushed me to work even harder in my studies. Already, I have invested much time and effort into my studies, and I would like to thank you for your investment in my future as well. Thank you again for your contribution to the A. James Clark School of Engineering, -your generosity is having a great impact on engineering students and their success.

Sincerely,

Kyle Stakes