Pioneering Possibilities

With support from NSF scholarships, SHU students are discovering their potential in STEM

From the fall 2025 issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine

Key Highlights

• Sacred Heart University students benefit profoundly from the National Science Foundation S-STEM scholarship, which removes financial barriers and empowers them to pursue STEM learning, leadership and research with confidence
• Professors note that the scholarship not only supports students financially but also strengthens the SHU community by enabling nonprofit internships and building a strong cohort of high-achieving STEM scholars
• Each student credits both the scholarship and SHU’s mentorship with fostering resilience, growth and a willingness to take on new challenges

A scholarship can change a life. At Sacred Heart University, the National Science Foundation (NSF) award is proving just that. By removing financial barriers, it empowers students to learn, lead and conduct research with confidence.

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program (S-STEM) is a federal program that funds scholarships for academically talented students.

SHU students Doria Lukasik-Drescher ’26, Mahmud Kandawala ’26 and Julia Piascik ’26 are all recipients of NSF scholarships. Each student has recognized the value of this opportunity, working hard to make the most of it throughout all four of their years as Pioneers.

“The NSF scholarship has had a tremendous impact on my experience here at SHU,” says Lukasik-Drescher. “It allowed me to work with and meet like-minded and driven people, opened doors for me professionally through numerous connections to both faculty and industry professionals and provided the opportunity to pursue numerous volunteer opportunities.”

For Piascik, a first-generation college student, receiving the scholarship has been nothing short of life-changing.

^{Driven to Discover: Spaces like SHU's IDEA Lab allow scholars like Piascik and Lukasik-Drescher to turn classroom concepts into hands-on research}

“I’m the oldest of three siblings and the first in my family to go to university and earn a bachelor’s degree here in the U.S.,” she says. “My parents immigrated from Poland, and seeing how much they’ve sacrificed for me motivates me to make the most of every opportunity; this scholarship has allowed me to focus on my academics and participate in projects I’m passionate about.”

While the scholarship has expanded opportunities outside the classroom, its influence on day-to-day learning is just as powerful.

“The NSF scholarship helped me build closer relationships with my professors, often collaborating with them directly to learn from their mentorship,” says Kandawala. “From them, I learned to combine rigor with curiosity and service.”

Just as their students do, professors around campus have begun to take note of the importance of this scholarship.

“This scholarship surely helped students with financials, but beyond that, it helped the community, where we were able to send the students to local non-profit organizations for summer internships,” said Tolga Kaya, a professor in the University’s School of Computer Science & Engineering. “These high-achieving students are also able to connect deeply with one another, forming a sustainable cohort of success."

Lukasik-Drescher, Kandawala and Piascik have all applied what they’ve learned in the classroom to make changes in the world beyond it.

This year, Lukasik-Drescher completed independent research with NASA. Kandawala earned an internship with the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives, where he led a project to modernize the organization’s aviation records. Last year in Chicago, Piascik presented her project, an AI-driven robotic arm that teaches ASL letters A through I; this year, in San Diego, she’s presenting another project, an AI-driven poetry camera.

The students also took advantage of opportunities within the SHU community. Kandawala joined SHU’s sports analytics team, building data pipelines and web applications that turned complex datasets into usable insights for coaches and staff. Lukasik-Drescher partnered with an alum between her first and second years to help maintain Saguaro National Park in her home state of Arizona.

These achievements are grounded in hard work but also in the mentorship and support they have received.

“A journey is never complete without help along the way, and I was fortunate enough to have such impactful help throughout my time here at SHU from many different people both within and outside the university,” says Lukasik-Drescher.

For Lukasik-Drescher, Kandawala and Piascik, the NSF scholarship has offered a powerful foundation that influenced their time on campus and provided remarkable opportunities. Most importantly, it’s shown them how to balance bravery and confidence.

“For me, the real accomplishment is that I kept saying yes to challenges, kept learning and kept growing,” Piascik says. “That is what I’m most proud of.”

As their college journey nears its close, they carry with them the resilience, vision and support that will guide them toward whatever comes next. Their path to becoming truly great is only beginning.