by Juliana Palomino
Jordan Nicoulin wears far more hats than the typical college student.
First of all, Jordan’s a student. As a junior at the University of Kentucky, he has a major in mechanical engineering and a minor in math. He’s also a member of the Lewis Honors College and the Scholars in Engineering and Management Program.
At the same time, Jordan’s also a father. He has a three-year-old son named Bradyn and works hard to support him. Since he shares joint custody of Bradyn, he spends a significant amount of time with him throughout the week, taking him to school, cooking him homemade meals, and laughing and playing with him.
To support Bradyn, Jordan works, and not just one job but two. Every Saturday morning, he wakes up early to work a shift at a local coffee shop. Twice a week he works at Sonic from 5pm until 1am. He doesn’t see a penny of his earnings, since every cent goes to support his son’s childcare and education.
Classmate and scholar. Chef and chauffeur. Caregiver and breadwinner. What makes it possible for Jordan to excel at so much?
Without hesitation, Jordan attributes this success to scholarships.
He has received two scholarships here at the University of Kentucky: the Harmon Scholarship and the T.W. Lewis Scholarship. These awards completely cover his tuition, and for a student and father, this is an enormous gift.
He has been able to focus completely on schoolwork, taking 18 credit hours each semester to achieve his goal of graduating in four years. Were it not for these generous scholarships, Jordan would have thousands of dollars in loans to pay back. Now, he can put every penny he earns to give young Bradyn a wonderful education as well. The scholarships have educated not one but two people.
Jordan will intern this summer with Hitachi Automotive Systems. He is interested in the automotive field and hopes to work with Hitachi after he graduates. Because of scholarships, Jordan and Bradyn are looking forward to a bright future. As Jordan himself has said, he has no idea where he would be without those financial gifts.
