To celebrate the Delta Community Credit Union Scholarship's 10th anniversary, we're revisiting our former scholarship recipients to see where they are now and to see the adventures they've had.
In the final installment of our follow up series, we are checking in with our first scholarship class, our 2006 recipients. Explore profiles below to see their latest accomplishments and to read their thoughts on the Delta Community Credit Union Scholarship.
Ben
Ben and his wife Holly at their wedding
Name: Ben Lucas
School: University of Texas at Austin
Major: Petroleum Engineering , and Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology
Academic Achievement: In 2010, Ben graduated from the University of Texas at Austin College of Engineering. During his undergraduate career, he received scholarships from the Cockrell School of Engineering and the Fort Worth Society of Petroleum Engineers in addition to Delta Community.
Career Growth: From 2008 to 2014, Ben worked as an intern and a reservoir engineer for XTO Energy. He was part of the engineering operations that were acquired in the ExxonMobil buyout. In 2014, he began working for RSP Permian, a start-up oil and gas producer as a reservoir engineer.
Continued Accomplishment: On top of helping increase reserves at RSP Permian nearly 3x since the IPO, Ben got married in 2015 to his high school sweetheart, Holly.
Community Involvement: Ben is a member of St. Philip Presbyterian Church where he serves as a confirmation sponsor and is part of a task force involved with updating the structure of committees and church-wide events. He is relocating with his wife to Midland, Texas and is eager to get involved in his new community.
“[The Delta Community Credit Union Scholarship] allowed me to focus on academics and get involved with organization at UT which helped me to land a good job and cultivate both professional and personal friendships. Thanks for starting this great program.”
Phillip
Phillip is currently working on his Master's Degree and PhD
Name: Phillip Trusty
School: Georgia Institute of Technology
Coursework: Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and PhD in Bioengineering
Professional Development: After graduating from Georgia Tech in 2010 with highest honors, Phillip spent two years as a missionary before working with doctors at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to plan surgeries for newborns with congenital heart defects. He has authored several articles published in in cardiovascular peer-reviewed journals concerning his work. He has also presented his research at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions Conference.
Research Focus: Phillip’s research focuses on cardiovascular fluid mechanics. He worked as a research engineer in the Cardiovascular Fluid Mechanics lab at Georgia Tech where he was involved in a 5-year grant that researched improvements for a congenial heart surgery known as the Fontan procedure. Phillip also worked on projects looking at other types of congenital heart defects, such as double outlet right ventricle and aortic coarctation.
Future Plans: In 2016, Phillip will be getting married and completing his Master’s Degree. He plans to complete his PhD in 2018 and is currently considering academic and industry positions to pursue at that time.
“I just want to sincerely thank Delta Community for its contributions to students and higher education through this scholarship program. Having some of the financial stress taken off of college makes the experience that much more enjoyable. I can spend more time learning and networking, rather than worrying about how I am going to pay for textbooks. I promise, as a recipient, that I don’t take these blessings for granted.”
