“I am in my third year, double majoring in Environmental Health Science and Occupational Health Science. This scholarship allows me to make more time for schoolwork and being in the community with those that matter to me—developing deeper relationships with those around me allows me to foster connections that last long after the cap and gown get packed up in a box and stored away. My family and I cannot thank you enough for this generous investment to further my education.”

“Choosing a career path in Safety was one of the best choices I’ve made. Being a Safety Professional and being in the military have a lot in common. For example, getting from point A to point B in the safest and fastest way possible. In both careers, your always paying attention to detail. My best advice for a fellow service member is to start early. The BCSP and most bases have programs available that are designated for the military. Start with what you’ve learned in the military to help you make sense of safety in the workplace. Safety is a career that never stops evolving because of our engineering capabilities and the way we do construction changes. Safety changes, regulations change. So it’s constantly giving you the ability to grow as a professional and always learn something new.

“Safety is the future. It’s the future of how things are and will continue to be developed, built, and maintained. There’s no reason for us to ever be content with 100 people, 10 people, or one person losing their quality of life over a workplace injury.”

In 2021, Lina Sylejmani received the BCSP Foundation’s QAP/ABET Student Scholarship. The scholarship is a $5,000 award given to outstanding students in safety, health, and environmental programs. As a student in Occupational Health & Safety at UHCL, Lina was delighted to receive the scholarship and plans to attain her Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) designation from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) upon graduation. 

“I am dedicated to obtaining my GSP after graduation and continuing to grow as a future safety professional,” announced Lina on a LinkedIn post. “I’m still a little surprised, I have never received a scholarship for academic merit before. I would like to thank all of my professors and colleagues. You all have truly inspired me to work hard as a student and never lose sight of my goals.”