Ahead of the curve

From left: Wright State engineering and computer science students Evan Vallery, Adam Moore, Colby Anderson, Jackson Vance and Danielle Charleston (not pictured) were selected as Booz Allen Hamilton Scholars.

To say that Wright State University senior Colby Anderson is an overachiever would be an understatement.

More advanced than his peers, Anderson’s family enrolled him in a homeschool program through the Ohio Virtual Academy.

“Being homeschooled allowed me a flexible schedule,” Anderson said.

Homeschooling also permitted Anderson to get ahead in his coursework. By the time he was in middle school, he was taking high school math and English classes.

When he was a first-year student in high school, Anderson already had enough educational requirements to start college-level courses. At the age of 14, he enrolled in College Credit Plus classes at Wright State University. Anderson was initially intimidated to be in classes with students who were at least four years older than him.

“It was a little scary at first,” he recalled. “I remember my first day walking into class. I was just standing in the middle of the room trying to decide where to sit. Everyone else looked so much older. But someone invited me to their group. After a couple of weeks, I started to make friends, which was great.”

Four years later, Anderson looks ahead to graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in May 2025 at the age of 18.

As he embarked on his senior year at Wright State, he received some exciting and surprising news. He had been selected as a recipient of a scholarship from Booz Allen Hamilton, a longtime and valued corporate partner for the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“I couldn’t believe that I had been chosen,” said Anderson. “What a huge honor to be a recipient of this scholarship, especially from a company like Booz Allen Hamilton. They’re very well respected.”

Launched in 2023, the scholarship supports five engineering and computer science majors who are selected as Booz Allen Hamilton Scholars.

“We are excited to continue the Booz Allen Hamilton Scholars program for another year,” said Michael Bennett, a principal in Booz Allen Hamilton’s Global Defense Sector. “Providing scholarships for these five outstanding students not only underscores our dedication to Wright State University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science but also highlights the immense talent that exists within our community. Our ongoing partnership with Wright State reaffirms our belief that nurturing young talent is essential for the sustained growth and success of both our industry and our community and also strengthens our company’s commitment to educational excellence.”

For Anderson, the Booz Allen Hamilton scholarship provides much-needed financial support as well as validation of his hard work.

“This scholarship has given me a lot of motivation to continue exceling in my classes and keep working hard so I could maybe get an internship at Booz Allen Hamilton and work there in the future,” he said.

Over the years, Wright State has provided Booz Allen Hamilton a much-needed pipeline of student interns who are often hired as full-time employees upon graduation.

Bennett began working at Booz Allen Hamilton 38 years ago as a sophomore computer science major at Wright State. He has seen the company’s Dayton office grow from fewer than 20 employees to more than 650. Almost a quarter of their engineering team’s employees are Wright State graduates.

“Our decade of corporate sponsorship with Wright State continues to grow and the benefits for securing great candidates for both internships and full-time hires has been quite impactful,” said Bennett. “Our new cohort of students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science will certainly be ones to watch.”

Wright State’s Booz Allen Hamilton Scholars were recently invited to tour the company’s Dayton office and meet with employees. During his visit, Anderson was impressed with the amount of collaboration and productivity among the Booz Allen Hamilton staff.

“The scholarship is hugely appreciated, but I couldn’t thank them enough for the amazing tour,” he said. “It was an excellent networking opportunity. We got to hear about some of the things that they’re working on and about projects they’ve worked on in the past. It was a great learning experience.”

Following his visit, Anderson was invited to apply for the Booz Allen Summer Games, an intensive, 10-week paid internship program. Guided by senior leaders, Summer Games interns collaborate to create powerful solutions for real-world client problems.

“If I’m accepted for that, I’d be really excited,” said Anderson. “I think I’d really enjoy my time there and learn a lot.”

Darryl Ahner, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, is grateful for Booz Allen Hamilton’s growing financial support of Wright State students as well as the perspective and advice they provide to the college.

“Booz Allen Hamilton continues to be a valued partner to the Wright State community and the College of Engineering and Computer Science in particular,” said Ahner. “Their commitment to the success of our students is impressive. Not only do they provide scholarships for five outstanding engineering and computer science students, they also provide internship opportunities to our students, resume reviews to our students, and valued feedback to our academic programs so that our graduates are workforce ready. We wholeheartedly thank and appreciate Booz Allen Hamilton as an integral part of our community of lifelong learners.”

With graduation just a few months away, Anderson looks forward to the next leg of his journey. Whether he lands at Booz Allen Hamilton or another company, he hopes to find full-time employment.

“Any career that involves working in a team and always solving new problems is where I would thrive,” he said.