10.24.24

Shocker Pride Scholar emphasizes the value of student support

Growing up in Colombia, Nicolas Perilla Rivera had great ambitions. His childhood dream was to become an astronaut, and, rooted in a love for science, that dream led him to move abroad and pursue aerospace engineering at Wichita State.

When he arrived, Rivera found work as a faculty assistant at the Heskett Center and a tutor for Wichita GEAR UP. Unfortunately, his earnings didn’t provide enough to cover his full tuition.

“Going to school is expensive,” he said, “and financing my education was probably the biggest hurdle to get over for me.”

But with the hardworking mindset adopted from his parents, self-motivation to excel in academics, and a priority to become an engineer, he was determined to achieve his dreams. Now a junior, his dedication has earned him several scholarships to help along the way. In 2024, that included the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement’s Shocker Pride Scholarship, which is funded through the Shocker license plates.

“It saved my academic journey,” said Rivera. “This scholarship helped me pay for and enroll this semester, which truly helps when you don’t know if you’re going to be able to pay your tuition or not.”

The scholarship goes beyond financial support, creating opportunities for networking and professional development. This fall, he connected with an alumni mentor, Liza Elliott ’19/21, who currently works as a Spirit AeroSystems engineer.

“She gave advice on professionalism and job finding, and she talked about life as an engineer,” said Rivera. “People can get overwhelmed with engineering or get too into it that they don’t live their life, so she emphasized the importance of having a life outside of that.”

Anyone can support scholars like Rivera through the Scholar Pride License Plate program. A part of the proceeds from each license plate directly supports students, so they can worry less about affording tuition and more about succeeding in the classroom.

“It did put me through college for one more year. It’s pretty cool that buying a license plate can help someone’s education,” he said.

Rivera plans to graduate in spring 2026. After WSU, he wants to gain work experience and eventually start his own private aircraft business, which he hopes will allow him to give back and spread the same generosity he has received.

“Helping with education is the only way that society is going to get better,” he said. “In the future, I want to come back and contribute to these kinds of scholarships for students.”