Graduate Named Florida Career Professionals Student of the Year

Recent Embry-Riddle graduate Adam Naids has triumphed over numerous nominees from other Florida colleges and universities to win the Florida Career Professionals Association’s 2012 Student of the Year Award.  

As an additional honor, Naids, an aspiring astronaut, will receive his FCPA crystal sculpture award next month at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, from NASA astronaut Nicole Stott ('87, DB) – an Embry-Riddle alumna and trustee. He has also received a monetary award from the FCPA.

Naids, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics, is completing his NASA summer co-op at Johnson Space Center and will begin working there full time in September, helping to develop tools for use on the International Space Station, the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle and future space vehicles. “I’m really excited to get involved in such groundbreaking work,” he said. “And, as someone whose ultimate goal is to become an astronaut, there is no better place for me to start off working.”

Naids was nominated by Sally Richards, co-op/intern program manager in the Career Services Office at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus, who cited his outstanding academic record while earning his Embry-Riddle degree,  as well as his successful multi-semester co-op at Johnson Space Center.  During that co-op, he was involved in designing and conducting 3D modeling on a potable water dispenser for the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle.

In a letter congratulating Naids on winning the FCPA award, Richards praised his campus outreach activities: “Your presentation on NASA co-ops and internships was well attended, your co-op blog was very informative and your talks on your NASA experiences were a hit in Freshman Success classes and at Parents’ Weekend.”