Claire Kendell doesn’t often pause in the middle of a run. But when an email popped up on her phone with the subject line “You have received the Alan Mulally Leadership in Engineering Scholarship,” it got her attention.
“I had to read it quite a few times,” says the electrical engineering senior and member of MSU’s Women’s Track and Cross Country teams. “I was just so honored and grateful. I was smiling every step of a very fast run home that day.”
Claire is one of 2020’s ten recipients of the $10,000 scholarship, awarded each year to outstanding engineering students at premier partner universities. The competitive award program, which began in 2015 and will continue for 10 years, is funded by the Ford Motor Company to honor former president and CEO Alan Mulally.
“Ford’s Mulally scholarship is providing opportunities for promising engineering students to continue developing their skills on the way to becoming successful innovators,” says Farah Harb, global education programs analyst, Ford Motor Company Fund. “We’re proud of our investments in education and our relationship with Michigan State University to support and inspire the next generation of leaders.”
Engineering has been on Claire’s horizon since high school when she found herself drawn to a career in STEM because of a genuine love for problem solving. She came to MSU as a junior, transferring from the University of Detroit Mercy. She recalls that MSU’s encouraging atmosphere made hitting her stride on campus easy.
“Coming from a smaller school, I was super intimidated by MSU’s size,” she says. “But it’s been great and I think a big part of that has been being on the team. They’re a really supportive and hardworking group of people.”
Joining MSU’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers was another plus that she says gave her an automatic network in engineering.
After recently completing her third internship in the auto industry, she has her eye on a career in electrified propulsion systems, which she sees both as a challenging area and a major player in mitigating climate change.
“I want to apply all these skills and technical knowledge I’ve gained to something I can see making a big difference down the road,” she says.
She also hopes to pursue a master’s in engineering degree as well as an MBA, to help her continue to increase her skill set and potential impact.
Looks like Claire won’t be slowing down any time soon.
LEARN MORE about supporting students in the College of Engineering by contacting Senior Director of Development Stephen Bates at batesst@msu.edu or by calling (517) 355-8339.