RAPID CITY, SD (Aug. 5, 2020) —
Peyton Krahulik, a computer science and math senior at South Dakota Mines, has been awarded the
prestigious Department of Defense (DoD) Science,
Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship.
This award
provides students the opportunity to pursue a STEM degree and begin a career
with the DoD upon graduation. The scholarship benefits include full tuition, an
annual stipend, book and health insurance allowance, summer internships and a
guaranteed civilian position with the DoD after graduation. During the summer
internships, SMART Scholars work directly with an experienced mentor while
gaining valuable field work and skills at their facility. Upon graduation,
scholars begin their service commitment at the same facility where they will
work full-time as civilian employees and contribute to protecting national
security. For every year of funding awarded, recipients will work the same
amount for DoD.
South Dakota
Mines has had only two other recipients of this award since its inception.
With the SMART
Program, Krahulik will have the opportunity to begin a full-time civilian career
at TRAC
Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. He is interning there as well. TRAC is a United
States Army analysis agency that conducts research on potential military
operations worldwide to “inform decisions about the most challenging issues
facing the Army and the Department of Defense (DoD).”
Krahulik is from
Lyman, Neb., and graduated from Mitchell High School in Mitchell, Neb. He says
two high school teachers instilled his love of STEM – Matt Chrisman, his math
teacher and coach for speech and Quiz Bowl; and Michael Belgum, his science
teacher who encouraged him to join the Science Bowl team and to go into STEM.
For more
information on the SMART Program or to learn how students can apply, please
visit www.smartscholarship.org. The
application window is open from August through December every year.