Mississippi State junior Natalie T. May recently won the first annual scholarship of the Eastman Award for Excellence in Chemical Engineering. May, from Guin, Ala., was selected for the $2,000 scholarship made possible by the Kingsport, Tenn.-based manufacturer of chemicals, fibers and plastics.
May is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Taylor and a 1999 graduate of Marion County High School. From her high school statistics, her recent success at MSU comes with little surprise.
May stayed active in the Beta Club and student council and started the community paper, The Guin Gazette. She also played basketball, ran track and cheered while maintaining a GPA that made her the valedictorian of her graduating class.
“I stayed busy in high school, but that’s just the way I’ve always been,” May said.
After high school May attended Bevill State Community College in Fayette, Ala. During her two years at BSCC, May developed her interest in the field of chemical engineering.
“Some of the professors I had at Bevill really played an important role in my decision to pursue (chemical engineering),” May said.
While at BSCC May joined the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and was involved in the student government. She also began looking into universities with well-known engineering schools.
The root of May’s interest in chemical engineering comes from a broad desire of post-school ideas. May said that chemical engineering seemed to be a versatile degree that leaves plenty of options.
“I may decide on medical school after graduation, and chemical engineering is a good base for med school. I also want to keep my options open as long as I can,” May said.
May’s transition to MSU has proven to be smooth one: she maintains a 4.0 GPA and is involved in the Omega Chi Epsilon chemical engineering honor society as well as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
In addition to The Eastman Award, May also received the Bradford Chemical Engineering Award and a scholarship for her involvement in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
MSU’s Dave Swalm School of Chemical Engineering has a variety of programs, clubs and scholarships affiliated with the department. The Eastman Award for Excellence in Chemical Engineering is the most recent award and will be given annually to one MSU student.
For consideration, a student must first be nominated from a professor in the department of chemical engineering. After nomination, a series of interviews are held with Eastman representatives and a final candidate is chosen.
“I was nominated over a month ago and did my interviews a couple of weeks after that. The interview is very relaxed. I had a small essay to write and was asked questions about leadership and experience,” May said.
The Eastman Scholarship recognizes students ranked in the top 25 of their class with demonstrated skills in communication, team-work and leadership skills. In addition to receiving the $2,000 scholarship, a student must agree to serve an internship with Eastman Chemical over the period of a summer while in school.
May considers MSU a definite option for graduate school. However, she plans to keep her options plentiful for the future.
With past success clear and bright plans for the future, May offers the simple, valuable advice.
“Work hard, do your best and be yourself,” May said.
For more information on Eastman Chemical and other scholarship opportunities, visit: www.eastman.com or call (423) 229-2000.