Eli Nicholson and Afton Woodring Awarded NSSP Scholarships

Jun 26, 2018

By Tommy Riggs

FREDERICK, Maryland—Hood College students Eli Nicholson ’19 and Afton Woodring ’19 have been awarded scholarships from the National Security Scholars Program (NSSP), which provides a paid internship for the summer and unique opportunities in the national security field.

This program is focused on the needs of the intelligence and defense industry in Maryland and offers assistance with national security clearance processing and future employment in the field.

Nicholson is double majoring in mathematics and economics with a concentration in international economics and a minor in actuarial science. His internship will be with Northrop Grumman in their business management section, working on automating and speeding up routine processes while maintaining accuracy.

“I applied for this internship because I saw it as a great opportunity that was made available by going to Hood,” said Nicholson. “I look forward to exploring outside of my concentration and gaining real experience with the inner workings of a large company.”

Woodring is double majoring in computer science and law and criminal justice with a concentration in criminal justice. She is currently at a classified work location, looking forward to combining her degrees and learning more about the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity.

“I applied for this program because it seemed like an amazing opportunity,” said Woodring. “The opportunity to work within the Department of Defense or one of its subcontractors was something I did not want to miss.”

The NSSP is funded by the Maryland Independent College and University Association’s (MICUA) Independent College Fund. Now entering its 20th year, the NSSP has awarded more than $3.4 million in scholarships to more than 300 students attending an I-Fund member college or university. Additionally, the NSSP provides a network of opportunities to its partners for the purpose of maintaining a pipeline of future hires addressing current and future employment challenges of the national security industry in Maryland.