Austen Greco was awarded the Bob D. and Dana M. Lambert Math and Science Scholarship this semester. He is the third recipient of this $500 award.
Greco is an engineering student at National Park College. Instructor Darlene Gentles said he is an excellent student academically and is often the top scorer in his engineering classes. She described him as reliable and mature with a pleasant demeanor and said, "He has those qualities that should be commended."
Gentles said math and science scholarships are not as prevalent as other disciplines and expressed her appreciation for the Lambert family's commitment to the field.
"We're not flashy; we're not showy. We're kind of nerdy and quiet, and to get that recognition is really outstanding and uncommon," she said.
Greco said this is the first scholarship he has ever received. He graduated from Lake Hamilton High School in 2013. He remembers having Lambert as an instructor in general chemistry class during her last semester at NPC before retirement. He thanked Lambert for the award and said, "It is really generous of you to provide this scholarship and I feel really honored to receive it."
He plans to transfer to Henderson State University this spring to complete his bachelor's degree in engineering. He hopes to pursue a master's degree in aerospace engineering.
Dana Lambert is retired from NPC where she served as division chair for both the Math Sciences and Health Sciences during her tenure. She recalled the struggle of working through college.
"I just know how hard it was for both my husband and myself to afford to go to college," she said. "We both worked and my husband wanted to be an engineer, but going to U of A was not in the picture for his family."
She said the Lambert family established the scholarship to help alleviate those struggles for students.
School on 11/25/2018