Naval Intelligence Professionals Scholarships Announced

It is with great pleasure that NIP announces the awardees for the 2018-19 Academic Year Scholarship Program. The slate of applicants was incredibly strong, and our congratulations go out to all those who participated. We congratulate the selectees and particularly the strong leadership of RADM Liz Train and CAPT Jim Everett for their dedicated work on the panel to make it happen.
 
The commitment to the future of Naval Intelligence by the families who have endowed these awards manifests a strong passion for our tradition and heritage, and does great honor to the memories of officers for whom they are named.
 
The honorees for AY 20118-19 are:
 
CAPT Anthony D. Sesow Scholarship:
 
Intelligence Specialist Second Class, Brandon Biwer is Information Warfare qualified and serves as a member of the Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot.  He was instrumental in developing new standard operating procedures for production, improving the time-sensitive, tailored intelligence support to the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations.  Petty Officer Biwer’s career goal is to become a Navy officer and would like to be a fighter pilot or an intelligence officer.  He has been enrolled part-time in American Military University since 2017, has completed private pilot ground school, and is an applicant for the fiscal year 2019 Seaman to Admiral program.
 
CAPT (Select) Kurt William Juengling Award:
 
Rand Duarteis finishing her third year at Stanford University with a major in International Relations and a minor in Arabic.  She is involved in Stanford in Government as the Director of Stipends Committee for Stanford student applicants, a member of the International Fellowships Committee and other leadership positions.  Active in volleyball, she also works as a Summer Foreign Military Affairs intern at PMA-242 FMS at NAVAIR/Pax River.  She wants to pursue a career in the federal government utilizing her Arabic skills in either a diplomatic or law enforcement position.  She participated in the “Stanford in Washington DC Program” this past fall.  Rand is the recipient of the Juengling Scholarship for the second consecutive year.
 
CAPT Richard W. Bates Scholarship:
 
Jacob Ehretis a 2018 graduate of Coronado High School in Coronado, California, and has applied to the University of California Los Angeles, Georgetown University, and California Institute of Technology – San Luis Obispo because they have dual degree-granting programs, study abroad, language immersion, and research internships.  He intends to major in Science, Technology, and International Affairs and pursue a career in public policy or foreign relations with a focus on climate change mitigation by developing innovative energy policies in the U.S. and throughout the world to reverse the impacts of global warming, including issues of mass migration, land usage, and food availability. Jacob played soccer throughout high school and was varsity captain for two years, being selected to the San Diego Union-Tribune All Academic Team. He was also selected as the Best Junior Pianist in Performance (solo and jazz ensemble) at the 2014 Red Lodge Music Festival in Montana.
 
 
VADM Donald D. Engen Scholarship:
 
Thomas Powellis a 2018 graduate of Frank J. Page High School in Franklin, Tennessee and has dedicated his life to becoming a doctor after the death of his best friend in 2014. He intends to study neuroscience and become a neurologist or neurosurgeon. He hopes to attend Rhodes College which offers a neuroscience degree, has a robust Health Advisory program with an impressive track record of sending graduates to medical school, and a long-term relationship with the Neuroscience Institute of the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where he would be able to participate in epilepsy and traumatic brain injury (TBI) research and internships. His elective courses in high school included a nursing internship, earning certifications as a Certified Nurse Assistant and an Emergency Medical Responder.Additionally, he was a four-year member of his high school basketball team and team captain his senior year.
 
CAPT George J. O’Donnell Award:
 
Christopher Rielageis finishing his first year at Stanford University and is majoring in East Asian Studies (China Subplan). He is a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and has joined the Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) program hoping to use these skills as a surface warfare or intelligence officer, or possibly as a foreign area officer or attaché.  Active in Stanford’s Forum for American/Chinese Exchange, he is the editor of the "China Review," a weekly analysis of the top news stories on China. He has been heavily involved in both the high school and college Model United Nations and the Society for International Affairs at Stanford.
 
CDR Dan F. Shanower Award:
 
Kathleen Sharmanis a 2018 graduate of the United Nations International School of Hanoi, Viet Nam and has applied to the University of Virginia, Princeton University, and the College of William and Mary intending pursue a liberal arts major with an Asia/Chinese studies minor. The restrictions and censorship in China and Viet Nam she witnessed while growing up in these countries framed her perception of human rights issues; she intends to learn more about this dynamic part of the world in college and in her future career.  She was an active supporter of orphanages in China and Vietnam and led a 20-person service group assisting individuals disabled from Dioxin (Agent Orange) re-integrate into Vietnamese society. A very accomplished actress, Kathleen has received honors at her current high school and Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia.