Nick Hayman

My name is Nick Hayman and I was a 2010 Hollings Scholar. I applied to this scholarship on a whim over Christmas break after I saw an e-mail from the Biology Department. It has turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Obviously, the amount of money they give each recipient is astounding; two years of a generous stipend as well as a paid internship over your junior summer as long as you keep your grades up. It is hard to beat that. However, not only does NOAA give this generous scholarship, but they actually try to recruit you into their organization; they need the younger generation to keep up their work. Even if you are not interested in working for NOAA, the scholarship’s internship and opportunities to network with top scientists can give you an enormous advantage over many undergraduate biology majors for finding other jobs and going to graduate schools. The people running the program are extremely nice and helpful. There is literally no reason not to apply; the application is not daunting and if you win, the reward is much more than simply monetary. Currently I am in a graduate program at San Diego State University.