Foundation

Scholarship winners: Where are they now?

The first in a series of updates on past NIRSA Foundation Scholarship winners

The NIRSA Foundation is committed to educational and scholarly projects that enhance leadership development within campus programs. Each year the NIRSA Foundation offers student and professional scholarships so that recipients can attend various NIRSA educational programs.

This year, the NIRSA Foundation awarded scholarships to 17 students and 3 professionals. Since 1994, the Foundation has awarded 201 scholarships totaling more than $50,000 to enhance the professional and career aspirations of our Student and Professional Members.

From time to time, the Foundation Board will track some of our scholarship recipients to get an idea of how their lives and careers have turned out.

Brian Fetky, 2006 NIRSA Foundation Scholarship Recipient

This month, we caught up with Brian Fetky. Brian received a 2006 NIRSA Foundation Scholarship while a graduate assistant at the University of Rhode Island.

NIRSA Foundation: What are you doing now?

Brian: I am currently the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation at Bridgewater State College and my responsibilities include administering the Intramural Sports program. I started at Bridgewater in June 2006.

NIRSA Foundation: What NIRSA activity or event did you use your scholarship to attend? *

 Brian: I used the scholarship to attend the 2006 Annual Conference in Louisville.

* In general, student scholarships are used to cover the cost of registration fees for the NIRSA Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Exposition. Certain NIRSA Foundation scholarships and endowed scholarships can be used at other NIRSA educational events. 

NIRSA Foundation: What was your career track from the time you received the scholarship to now?

Brian: After receiving the NIRSA Foundation scholarship, I attended the 2006 Annual Conference in Louisville in preparation for my professional job search. Winning the scholarship definitely helped me get recognized by our Professional Members at the conference.

NIRSA Foundation: Would you have been able to attend the Louisville conference without the Foundation scholarship?

Brian: Yes, I would have attended the conference, but the Foundation scholarship definitely helped in getting me there. 

NIRSA Foundation: What was your favorite experience from Louisville that you would like to share?

Brian: My favorite experience was being called up on stage as a volunteer for the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session of the conference. I had to speak in front of all the conference attendees and it was a unique experience.

NIRSA Foundation: Winning a scholarship means different things to different recipients. What did your scholarship mean to you and why? Do you feel it has had a significant impact on your professional development? Do you believe that your Foundation scholarship helped further your career? 

Brian: The scholarship was very meaningful to me because it showed that our professional members recognized my dedication and passion in the field of campus recreation. It definitely had a significant impact on my professional development, because I was able to network with many professionals and fellow students. The Foundation scholarship helped further my career because recognition at the conference helped me market myself. It also showed how much the Association appreciates its Student Members, and this inspired me to pursue a professional position.

NIRSA Foundation: Any advice for our current students and future professionals?

Brian: Always be yourself, and network with as many professionals and students as you can at the conference.

Check back with each issue of the NIRSA Know to see what some of our former scholarship recipients are doing. We would like to hear from our former recipients as well. Please contact Bill Crockett and let him know where you are and what you are doing. A future NIRSA Know will have an updated matrix of our recipients.

In addition to the scholarships the NIRSA Foundation awards, the Foundation supports the Career Opportunities Center at the Annual Conference, sponsors National Recreational Sports & Fitness Day, and publishes the Recreational Sports Journal. Please support the NIRSA Foundation and our profession.