The Alvin M. Ferst Leadership and Entrepreneurship Award was established by Charlotte Ferst to honor her husband, Alvin, who graduated from Georgia Tech in 1943. Alvin Ferst was a member of the Alumni Association Board and the Georgia Tech Foundation for decades. The Ferst family name has a long tradition on the Georgia Tech campus and the scholarship will assure the family’s involvement in perpetuity.

The Ferst Award consists of a $3,000 prize given to a junior or senior with at least a 2.5 GPA who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and/or entrepreneurial skills while at Georgia Tech.

Ideal Candidate Qualities

  • A person of vision
  • A driving force to create a business or organization
  • An inspiration to others to reach their potential
  • A leader with the ability to anticipate future needs
  • An optimist about finding solutions
  • One who generates support of the dream
  • And a person of character who says, “why not,” not “why.”

Applications

Applications must include a one-page cover letter describing qualifications for the award along with resume and two letters of reference. The letters of reference must be from faculty, staff and/or employer, and can either be submitted with the cover letter and resume or sent directly to ferstaward@studentlife.gatech.edu

The letters of reference should address:

  • Leadership qualities of the candidate with examples, and/or
  • Entrepreneurship achievements of the applicant, and
  • Why this student is worthy of the recommendation

Applications are now open.

Alvin M. Ferst Leadership and Entrepreneur Award Winners

2024 -  Jason Juang and Christine Webster

2023 - Usman Jamal and Maeve Janecka

2022 – Adam Lederer and Chris Ozgo

2021 – Thomas S. Marchese and Marion 'Duke' Hatcher

2020 – Genevieve Onyiuke-Kennedy and Ananya (Jane) Jain

2019 – Jhillika Kumar and Collin Spencer

2018 – Mahdi Al-Husseini, Brenna Fromayan, and Jake Smith

2017 – Arjun Bir and Kaitlin Rizk

2016 – Alexandra Flohr, Titilayo Funso, and Henderson Johnson

2015 – Rachel Kathlyn Ford and Dillon Roseen

2014 – Chibueze J. Ihenacho and James William Schwoebel

2013 – Cecili A.B. Reid and Vett Vandiver

2012 – Elizabeth Blumer, Jasmine Lawrence, and Chris Quintero

2011 – Christopher Blackburn, Corey T. Boone, Melissa Loreice McCoy, and Jerica M. Richardson

2010 – Shruti Batra, Matthew Stellmaker, and Cameron Trent Mao

2009 – Garrett Langley and Ranni Tewfik

2008 – Richard Schanda

2007 – Angela R. Gill, Sung Woo Choi, Orion A. King, and John D. Waters, Jr.

2006 – Charles Wiley, Shannon Fatehi, Saira Amir, and J.P. James

2005 – Laura M. Grosch

2004 – Keith Benjamin Lawder

2003 – Daniel White

2002 – George (Trey) Baltz, III

2001 – Joseph Stephen Katzen

2000 – L. Christopher Young

1999 – Scott W. Jackson

1998 – Jennifer Stokes

1997 – Meredith Moore