Supporting students who support our community

The John J. Connors Scholarship was established by his son Daniel Connors in memory of his father who was always eager to help. It supports CEGE undergraduate students who carry on John’s volunteer spirit. The three 2026 recipients are worthy examples of active engagement in the college community, and fittingly, at the time of the award, all three were taking the Capstone Design course that John J. Connors helped to establish. 

Alexis Swanson (left) has served as a CEGE Outreach Coordinator, interacting with high school students who are interested in finding out more about our department and majors. “This scholarship is very impactful for me,” said Swanson, “it will release me from the shackles of debt.”

Nick Moore (middle) is involved in many activities. Nick has been a student group leader for the class Introduction to Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering. He is also involved as a co-captain of the Steel Bridge Team and a member of the CEGE Student Advisory Board. This term, he is heading up the organization of the Minnesota-hosted Regional ASCE Symposium. Says Moore, “I take on a lot of things. I was raised to do what I can to help out.”

Katelin Henrikson (right) has been the Social Media Coordinator for the department. She uses Instagram and X to help connect students and to communicate about CEGE beyond campus. She enjoys all the connections she has been able to build, saying “It helps me stay informed about what is going on in CEGE, and it has helped me meet a lot of people outside of my own environmental focus area.”