Dear Donor:

Thank you for making my scholarship possible. As an out-of-state student who just finished his undergraduate degree, I have many student loans and little savings but wish to pursue a graduate degree. Your financial assistance will make it possible for me to continue my studies.

Allow me to tell you a bit about myself. I graduated in May from K-State with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and have been accepted to the MBA program at KSU for the fall of 2007. Along with the two-year MBA program, I accepted a graduate assistantship at the Advanced Manufacturing Institute where I will use my skills in engineering and business. I am very excited to be able to put my knowledge to use while I am still in school.

I am a native of Albuquerque, N.M., where I graduated from Eldorado High School. I chose to come to Kansas State because I have been a long time Wildcat fan and because of their excellent engineering program. Both of my parents are originally from Kansas and once attended Kansas State. I also currently have several cousins attending KSU, and many of my extended family members have attended K-State at some time.

During my undergraduate education, I was involved in many activities on campus. I participated in several engineering societies and activities including Pi Tau Sigma mechanical engineering honorary fraternity and the all-university open house. However, my largest involvement outside of class was wit the KSU department of music. I have played bassoon in the Symphony Band, our top concert ensemble, for five years and have traveled on tour to Salt Lake City, Cleveland and Indianapolis, as well as New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. Participating in this ensemble has left me with memories that will last a lifetime. I have also participated in the KSU Marching Band for the last five years. I marched in the piccolo sections for two years and was drum major for the last five years of my undergrad. In fact, my experience as drum major motivated me to pursue a degree in business management. I wanted to apply the leadership skills I learned in the band to my engineering degree and I see K-State’s MBA programs as the best way to do this.

Thank you for making this opportunity possible,

Brian J. Long