2012 ISA PUPID Scholarships

Meet Danielle C. Valdivia

The ISA Pulp & Paper Industry Division is pleased to award a $2000 scholarship to a college student pursuing a career in pulp & paper. This year, the winner is another “top-notch” student with an impressive scholastic record as well as extracurricular activities and having demonstrated a significant interest in the pulp and paper industry. The winner is Danielle C. Valdivia.  Danielle sent in her completed application form from the PUPID website, an official transcript from her university, three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with her character, and answered three questions describing his interest in the pulp and paper industry, her educational accomplishments, her school activities and her leadership roles. You can read a little bit about her in the rest of this article.

Danielle C. Valdivia, a junior with a dual degree in Chemical Engineering and Paper Engineering at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, hails from Forest Hill, Maryland. Danielle is the daughter of Richard M. Valdivia and Dawn M. Valdivia, who both work for the federal government as Environmental Specialists.

Danielle will graduate in May 2013 and currently has a GPA of 2.78 while working for the Chemical and Paper Engineering coating pilot plant. This summer Danielle has an internship with a coating company in their research and development branch. Danielle says that Coatings have always been my favorite part of the paper industry and it is where she hopes to work after finishes her Masters Degree.

While studying at Western, she has become a member of Ts'ai Lun, the organization of Paper Engineers, and a member of SWE, the Society of Women Engineers.
For fun (when the weather decides to stop snowing), Danielle enjoys playing beach volleyball or Frisbee with her friends. She is an avid lover of badminton and racket ball and has recently found a liking for tennis.