海角社区

A 海角社区  Mechanical Engineering Science major has been named the recipient of a national scholarship by the Scholars Foundation.

Joshu鈥檞a Reid, 19, of Lansdale, received a $1,000 Leaders of Promise Scholarship. The Leaders of Promise Scholarship recognizes 200 Phi Theta Kappa members with awards totaling $200,000. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges.

A panel of independent judges selected this year鈥檚 recipients from nearly 1,500 applicants. are selected based on outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.

Reid is a 2023 graduate of North Penn High School and began studying at 海角社区 in the fall of 2023.

鈥淚 am happy and very grateful for the scholarship,鈥� he said.

Growing up with a single mother, Reid said going away to college felt like a luxury he wasn鈥檛 sure he could afford. With this scholarship, he鈥檚 beginning to feel more secure financially.

鈥淭his allowed me a really good buffer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 able to save money, build character and help my mom. It鈥檚 been great.鈥�

When Reid enrolled at 海角社区, he immediately sought ways to become a leader on campus. He was invited to join PTK in the spring of 2024 and is looking to become more involved with the organization during the fall semester. He鈥檚 also a member of the Honors Club, where he鈥檚 spent several hours volunteering his time at Rose Bridge Farm and Sanctuary, in Dresher. Additionally, he鈥檚 a student ambassador, which he said has helped him to learn more about the College and break out of his shell socially. This semester he also begins working as Student Government Association treasurer.

Inside the classroom, Reid said several faculty members helped him be successful. Chengyang Wang, Engineering Science Associate Professor, and Gayathri Moorthy, Engineering Assistant Professor, have both worked closely with him.

鈥淔rom hearing my interests and giving me ideas to grow as a person,鈥� he said, 鈥渢hey do more than they have to. It gives me more confidence as a student.鈥�

He also mentioned Rebecca Hays, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs 鈥� STEM, and Douglas Vardakas, Physics Instructor, as two other big influences on him academically.

鈥淭he people at Montco want you to be better people,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey want to uplift you.鈥�

Reid is currently participating in an independent study with Moorthy, exploring the properties of nanoparticles for varied applications. It involves detailed theoretical study, performing hands-on experiments at 海角社区, and remotely collaborating with Penn State University to use some of their specialized nanotechnology equipment, said Moorthy.

As part of preparation for the study, Reid attended a workshop in the summer on 鈥淪emiconductor Processing and Integrated Photonics鈥� at Penn State. He was introduced to the concepts of nanotechnology and many of the tools used in the analysis and characterization of nanomaterials.

The Engineering Department at 海角社区 has collaborated closely with Penn State鈥檚 Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization () on a number of initiatives over the years, said Moorthy.

鈥淢ost recently, we have been working with Penn State to recreate some of the fundamental nanotechnology experiments without the need for a specialized lab, called a clean room, at a significantly lower cost,鈥� said Moorthy. 鈥淭his could open doors for a lot of community colleges, and high schools, to introduce their students to the concepts of nanotechnology through hands-on experimentation.鈥�

As part of Reid鈥檚 independent study this semester, he will test the implementation of some of these experiments at 海角社区. Moorthy said they hope to integrate these experiments into 海角社区鈥檚 introductory Engineering (and possibly other STEM) courses in the near future.

The 鈥淪emiconductor Processing and Integrated Photonics鈥� workshop is a result of another recent collaboration between 海角社区 and Penn State. As part of this, every summer, four or five 海角社区 students will be awarded a full scholarship to attend a one-week workshop at Penn State to introduce and educate them in the rapidly expanding fields of semiconductors and integrated photonics, and provide career-related advice in these new, cutting-edge areas, said Moorthy.

鈥淲e hope that such collaborations will help our students gain specialized skills in emerging technologies,鈥� said Moorthy, 鈥渁nd give them an upper hand, whether they decide to transfer to a four-year institution or enter the competitive job market.鈥�

Reid said his experiences during the summer workshop and during his independent study have offered him opportunities to work on research papers and presentations, and he hopes to continue to do similar work once he transfers to a four-year institution next spring following his graduation to continue his education.

鈥淚 want to thank Montco for helping me open doors to possibilities,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd allowing me to explore my interests.鈥�

With the Coca-Cola scholarship under his belt, Reid said he鈥檚 focused on continuing to be a leader on campus.

鈥淚 hope to continue to make it a better place,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ore enjoyable and accessible. That鈥檚 my goal for Montco for my last year."