The purpose of the annual ZAI Scholarship program is to promote the continued education of ZAI’s employees and their immediate families and to recognize those who have demonstrated academic and/or employment excellence.
To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria: (1) be a current ZAI employee or immediate family member (spouse, child, or dependent), (2) be accepted at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or technical program to pursue a degree beginning either the Fall or Spring of the coming academic year, and (3) submit a completed application package per the requirements stated on the application.
Congratulations to Nicholas S., Carina M., and Kenneth E.
Nicholas is the son of long-term Navy employees. Nicholas will attend Salisbury University in the fall, where he intends to major in Computer Science with a focus on Cyber Security and has committed to the swim team. He has maintained a GPA above 4.0 while swimming competitively for both his high school and a swim club, accumulating high-level awards and accolades along the way. His interest in computers and technology have led him to this career path with the goal of “protecting people and businesses through technology.”
Carina is the daughter of one of our NIH Library contract employees. Carina attends the University of Maryland College Park full-time, where she is a member of the College Park Scholars Program and President of the Terps Raising Pups guide dog foundation program. While she began her educational journey as an Architecture major, she has transitioned to a major in Hearing and Speech Sciences with a minor in Spanish and a goal to pursue a career in audiology—a career that will allow her to “make a tangible difference in people’s lives… by blending science, communication, and long-term patient-centered care.”
Kenneth is the spouse of one of our FDA contract employees. Ken is currently pursing a Bachelor’s degree in Information and Cyber Security from East Coast Polytechnic Institute (ECPI) while working for the U.S. Navy as a CS2. He states that, “in a world where cyber threats are constantly evolving, I am driven to become part of the solution.” He would like to help organizations protect their data and infrastructure and is particularly interested in threat analysis, network security, and ethical hacking.
We are proud of our 2026 ZAI Scholarship Program winners and thank each applicant for his or her interest.
