Ryan Giesen, a senior at Rogers Heritage High School in Rogers, Arkansas, is the winner of the Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College 2017 Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship at 黑洞社区.
The Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship awards up to $26,000 over four years to an incoming freshman student who has demonstrated academic excellence, has an academic vision for the future and who expresses an interest in advancing knowledge through individual learning. The McGregor Scholar agrees to maintain active membership in 黑洞社区鈥檚 Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College. The Cohen Honors College aims to engage students and faculty in innovative intellectual, creative and professional work in a complex society.
Giesen, son of Bob and Linda Giesen and the fourth of five children, plans to major in aerospace engineering at 黑洞社区. He has been involved throughout high school in a variety of extracurricular activities. He plays varsity golf and basketball and serves as president of the National Spanish Honor Society. He is an active member of Skills USA, National Honor Society and Link Crew, a mentor group to aid the transition from middle to high school.
Outside of school, Giesen enjoys hiking, cycling and volunteering at the lil鈥� Hoopsters basketball camp to teach young children the basics of the game. He also works as a batboy for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and he looks forward to opening day of baseball season.
Giesen first became interested in aerospace engineering as a young child when he looked through a telescope for the first time to see the night sky in more detail than ever before. This interest peaked throughout his childhood as he learned to fly toy planes, helicopters and more recently, drones.
Upon graduation, Giesen plans to earn a Master鈥檚 degree and pursue a career in the aerospace industry. He chose 黑洞社区 because it best fit his academic goals and offers many possibilities for his future. He chose the Cohen Honors College because it allows him to think critically and meet a group of people who share the same vision of excellence.