A bright and curious mind, Hannah Clark ’23 always dreamed of the traditional college experience but chose a different path when the impact on her finances and family proved too great a barrier. Community college and then a scholarship to SMU enabled her to pursue her mechanical engineering degree – opened the door to a NASA internship and eventually a full-time role as a medical device engineer at Dexcom.
After she chose a local community college to help care for her brothers and avoid student loans, Clark worried she might be disappointing her family and teachers. Determined to make the most of her time at community college, she excelled in her studies and earned one of SMU’s coveted North Texas Community College Transfer Scholarships, which allowed her to further her education at the Lyle School of Engineering.
Initially, a physics professor encouraged Clark to apply for the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program. After coming to SMU and getting involved with the Mustang Rocketry Club and the Society of Women Engineers, Clark applied for and received a NASA internship. Stationed at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia – one of only four major rocket launch locations in the country – Clark worked on the same program for community college students that had started her NASA dreams. She collaborated with teams and interns in NASA centers across the country to further plan, develop and implement that program, which Clark hopes will empower other outstanding students to pursue their dreams in the years to come.
I was extremely grateful to have been offered SMU’s North Texas Community College Transfer Scholarship, which made attending SMU a reality.
Hannah Clark ’23
Students like Clark showcase the ways donors to the SMU Ignited campaign enable students to make their dreams into realities. Gifts to scholarship initiatives make an SMU education accessible to exceptional students from every background. And support for student organizations, research opportunities and internships fuel innovative discovery and inspire current and future generations of students to reach for the stars.
Want to know more about Hannah Clark's story? Read our Q&A with her.
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