Center Director Kevin L. Petersen presented Jason Blank with the Dryden Exchange Scholarship. Also attending the ceremony was his grandmother Lela Mae, his mother Barbara Blamk, his brothers Justin and Jesse and his father Stephen Blank. NASA Photo / Tony Landis

Blank receives Exchange scholarship

Jay Levine
X-Press Editor

The Dryden Exchange Council selected Jason Blank as the recipient of the of its annual $5,000 scholarship.

"I am very excited. I started at Cal Poly this summer and I'm in my second quarter," Blank said. Blank, a graduate and valedictorian of Quartz Hill High School in 2002, said he will apply the scholarship toward his work at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he is studying to become an aerospace engineer.

In his application for the honor he wrote: "I understand that an aerospace engineering job will offer many unique challenges and benefits. A high-tech job that will be there tomorrow is exactly what I'm looking for. I will work hard these next few years to earn such a job."

He has a head start on his next year of education and he draws a lot of inspiration from the Center in other ways too.

Jason's father, Stephen Blank, has worked in the sheet metal shop at Dryden since 1988 and has brought his three sons to the Center.

"On family days, when he was young, he was impressed," Stephen Blank said.

Center Director Kevin Petersen, who presented the scholarship, told Jason he should also seek out opportunities to be mentored through the student programs offered at the Center.

Barbara Blank, Jason's mother, is proud of her son.

"He worked hard in high school. He saved and helped pay for his first year. It is very exciting for him to have won this scholarship and have the next year paid for. He can see his hard work paid off," said Barbara Blank.

His high school achievements were many. He was in the national honor society all four years of high school, was a star in 4-H activities, and was recognized as "Who's Who Among American High School Students" (three years in a row). He also served his community through activities such as being a volunteer fire fighter, participating for five years in the Grace Resource Center Food Drive, work and donations to the community, and helping to make Thanksgiving baskets for four years.

This years' scholarship is named after Harold W. Walker. Walker served as the chief of the aerodynamics branch and was associated with the X-15, XB-70, lifting body aircraft, the F-8 Supercritical Wing, and the Oblique Wing aircraft projects. He retired from Dryden in 1979. The scholarship is the 18th such award and is offered to students of Dryden parents.