Sean Grant Will Use Monsanto Scholarship at Howard University

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Monsanto awarded a $2,500 college scholarship to three (3) students. One of those students is Sean Grant who will use the scholarship at Howard University.

Currently, Sean Grant is a senior majoring in computer engineering at Howard University in Washington DC. Although he chose to complete his undergraduate degree in Washington DC, he was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY. At Howard University, Sean served as the Wireless Network Security Research Assistant for the university's Cybersecurity & Wireless Networks (CWiNs) Lab. Here Sean helped develop, model, and test algorithms that help secure the transmission of wireless data. His continuing goal is to solidify a system that can improve wireless network security in the future. Alongside his research, he is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Institute of Electronics & Electrical Engineers (IEEE). In addition, Sean is a returning member of the Howard University Chrysler Team. This program creates a partnership between Howard engineering students and Fiat Chrysler Automobile employees in order to create a concept or design for a future Chrysler automobile model.

Most recently, Sean served as the Hardware Performance Analyst Intern within the Systems Hardware Performance department at IBM Corp. This has by far been the most enjoyable and valuable internship position he has held purely because of the knowledge he gained throughout the internship. Over the summer Sean learned about the basics of micro-processors, chip architecture, and the techniques used to solve common problems with computer chip latencies. The friendships and connections he made while at IBM were a great addition to the beneficial internship.

Sean Grant * Monsanto Scholar (2017)

Sean has a reputation for being a hardworking, organized, and most of all, reliable employee and he takes great pride in these attributes. Sean always believed in the idea that hard work, preparation, and opportunity are the three factors that lead to a successful life and he tries his best to uphold these values each and every day.

We asked Sean to share his thought about BDPA:

"BDPA is an organization with a strong and effective mission statement that I can relate to. Striving to encourage and support minority students at all levels to develop an interest in technology is a mission that I would hope to take part in as I begin my career as a soon-to-be college graduate. As a high school student, my interest in computer science and technology grew slowly. However, I was never undeniably sure that technology was what I wanted to focus my attention and energy on. Due to these slight doubts, I was apprehensive about pursuing an engineering degree once I entered college. However, after learning about the BDPA organization, along with other nationally recognized STEM organizations, I decided to commit to the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and from my first day in class my interest in engineering and technology skyrocketed. This is the primary way in which BDPA has positively impacted me."

"Being able to see the positive impact that BDPA had on other college students around the country gave me the extra motivation to continue my pursuit of an engineering degree. My most memorable experience related to BDPA was at a tech event on campus where I was able to have a great conversation with a BDPA representative (who was also the speaker of the event). Hearing the encouraging words from the speaker was great, but what really impressed me was that after the event he took the time to talk to me about my interests in computer hardware engineering as well as his general interests in technology. This fairly simple, but impactful experience was very informative and helped me gain a stronger interest in the BDPA organization."

BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented student as a winner of the Monsanto Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Sean's career as he seeks to advance in the technology industry!