Growing up in Union City, Shanell Encalada ’26 spoke Spanish at home with her parents, helping them out by translating important documents. She points out that her bilingualism has enhanced her resume and allowed her to gain friendships in the various jobs she’s had. Encalada, a fintech major at the Martin Tuchman School of Management, recently helped establish NJIT’s chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA).
Three NJIT undergraduates — two from the Hillier College of Architecture and Design and one from the Ying Wu College of Computing — won the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad.
Anna Maria DiBrita ’24 didn’t quite have the time to study abroad during her time pursuing her degree in biomedical engineering. The Albert Dorman Honors Scholar kept a full plate on campus — member of the Society of Female Engineers, ambassadorships for biomedical engineering and the Honors College, Orientation Fellow among others. But now, DiBrita has earned a Fulbright scholarship and is an English teaching assistant in Spain’s Canary Islands.
Back-to-school buzz has returned to campus, and with it has come the latest wave of promising first-year students hailing from NJIT’s home city of Newark.
Trang Dang, a senior computer science major in the Ying Wu College of Computing, has been awarded the 2024 Anne Wiley Scholarship by NJIT’s Murray Center for Women in Technology. The award is given through nomination by deans or department chairs for exemplary service in support of advancing the representation of women in STEM fields.
Throughout her time at NJIT, Dang sought to use the opportunities afforded to her to find her fit and pursue a personal and professional career trajectory that would match an aptitude for excellence with a passion for making a difference.
The legacy of Kelly O’Connor, who was an active alumna of New Jersey Institute of Technology for 30 years, endures with two new scholarships that will serve female students who are interested in STEM.
His lifelong passion for baseball led Owen West, a rising junior from Point Pleasant Beach majoring in biomedical engineering, to dive into pharmaceutical research and become one of two NJIT winners of the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for 2024.
Here, we conclude a two-part series in which winners of the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award at this year’s College of Science and Liberal Arts Awards share memorable experiences that highlighted their path to success at NJIT, while they also look ahead to plans after Commencement 2024.
Isaiah Rejouis, B.A. Biology
Danna Valentina Sanchez Hernandez '25 took a big leap leaving her home country of Colombia to pursue her undergrad studies in the U.S., but that journey is paying off at NJIT — her research exploring the fluid dynamics and locomotion of marine life has recently led to a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship.
This year’s Goldwater class is comprised of just 438 scholars from across the U.S.
The 35th annual Scholarship Brunch took place April 12, bringing together generous benefactors who have created scholarships at NJIT with the students benefiting from their support.
The event humanizes and demonstrates the impact of giving back and removing a financial burden to those who need it most. In a unique opportunity, scores of scholars attended with each one proudly representing — and meeting — their donors.
