Crawley reflects on impact of scholarship

“This scholarship makes it that much more important for me to fulfill my dreams so that the people who believed in me and have helped me in my academic journey can feel that their contributions did not go unanswered.”

Anthony Crawley Jr., a sophomore in mechanical engineering, has just started his journey at the University of Illinois. When asked why Grainger Engineering, he eagerly states that “I chose Illinois Engineering because of the prestigious nature of the programs here. World-wide, Illinois is known to produce some if the finest and brightest engineers and that was a major point of my interest here.” Over the course of the next several years, Anthony is excited to explore his future here at the university.

Anthony’s passion for engineering started young, with the interest developing quickly after learning how to build model cars and planes. Anthony credits this interest as a key factor in determining his major, because mechanical engineering would allow him “the opportunity to make real cars in the future.” In order to achieve his goal, Anthony has joined Formula SAE, an organization that encourages students to team up and build a small Formula-style race car. Anthony is excited to learn more about the process and states that “since I can remember, Formula One was an integral part of my life and having the opportunity to work for an F1 team is my biggest motivator every day.” 

Anthony’s favorite class is currently ME 170, or Computer-Aided Design. In his free time, when he is not actively working on Formula SAE, he enjoys volunteering on weekends to help the local community around the university.

Anthony is grateful for the support this scholarship provides him, stating that “this scholarship will help my family and I pay for my education.” He was honored to be a 2018-2019 recipient of an Engineering Visionary Scholarship. 

Activities, Honors, and Favorite Classes

• IEFX Summer Scholar
• Illinois Association of DECA (Vice President)
• Illinois State Scholar
• Spanish (intermediate)