Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Paige Balcom ’16 talks about her experiences here at UNH as a leader, engineering student and scholar. Paige’s success represents just one example of the many that are made possible by donors who support student scholarships.

The list of organizations Paige Balcom has volunteered her time with, public service projects she's started, high grades she's earned and scholarships and grants she's been awarded is long -- but not as long, perhaps, as they things she plans to accomplish once she graduates on May 21.

Balcom, a Londonderry, N.H., native, was recently awarded one of the National Science Foundation's competitive Graduate Research Fellowships. She'll use the funding to pursue a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

As a Hamel Scholar, Paige has put the opportunities available to her at UNH to good use, excelling in her engineering classes, but also making time for organizations like Engineers Without Borders, and her latest endeavor, Project Oasis, under which she and fellow students are working to create a sustainable aquaponics system which will produce fresh vegetables and fish for a community in Costa Rica.

“I’ve had a solid engineering education," says Balcom, including her internships and fellowships outside the classroom. "UNH is so strong in that area."

Videographer: 
Scott Ripley | UNH Marketing | scott.ripley@unh.edu | 603-862-1855