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 will open again in the Spring 2023 semester.
Alvin M. Ferst Leadership and Entrepreneur Award Winners
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