WASHINGTON – UCF kicker Daniel Obarski, a junior majoring in industrial engineering, has been named a Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete.
Obarski, who is from Chandler, Arizona, has a 3.24 grade-point average. He has been named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team and plans to continue his education and get a master's degree in engineering management. On the field, Obarski has excelled as the Knights' kicker.
"My goal is to first get an internship next summer in a technical/engineering sales company," Obarski said. "Then, after graduation, I would like to continue in the area of sales. I am continuously discovering new opportunities that I can pursue as an industrial engineer and am looking forward to getting some real-world experience."
The Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athlete Program honors one football player at each university that is a member of the ACC and the American Athletic Conference – the two conferences that are represented in the Military Bowl college football game. These players are studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) subjects and/or aspire to STEM careers.
"What an incredible collection of student-athletes, who demonstrate their leadership on the field and in the classroom while tackling challenging subjects that prepare them for the future," Military Bowl President & Executive Director Steve Beck said. "We are thrilled to honor these student-athletes for their dedication and success."
"3M is excited to recognize these outstanding students pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields," said Skip Driessen, Director of 3M Government Markets. "We know how hard these scholar-athletes have worked on the field and in the classroom and look forward to their continued success."
The Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athletes from the ACC are:
- Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson, who graduated with a degree in computer science and is pursuing a master's degree in cybersecurity, political science and government.
- Clemson defensive end Justin Foster, a graduate student with a degree in construction sciences and management.
- Duke punter Jackson Hubbard, who graduated with a degree in computer science and a double minor in statistics and economics and is pursuing a master's degree in electrical and computer engineering.
- Florida State tight end Jackson West, a freshman majoring in computer science.
- Georgia Tech defensive back Jaylon King, a redshirt sophomore majoring in civil engineering.
- Louisville wide receiver Braden Smith, a sophomore majoring in biology.
- Miami offensive lineman Zion Nelson, a junior majoring in computer science.
- North Carolina defensive back Cam'Ron Kelly, a junior psychology major who is passionate about understanding the brain, human behavior and neuroscience.
- Notre Dame linebacker Drew White, a graduate student with a degree in science business.
- Pittsburgh defensive lineman Chris Maloney, a redshirt junior majoring in exercise science.
- Syracuse defensive lineman Kingsley Jonathan, who holds an undergraduate degree in information management and technology and is pursuing a master's degree in instructional design, development and education.
- Virginia defensive lineman Adeeb Atariwa, a graduate student who is pursuing a master's degree in systems engineering.
- Virginia Tech linebacker Dean Ferguson, a redshirt freshman majoring in civil engineering.
- Wake Forest wide receiver Taylor Morin, a redshirt freshman majoring in engineering with a double minor in entrepreneurship and mathematics.
The Military Bowl 3M STEM Scholar-Athletes from the American Athletic Conference are:
- Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering.
- East Carolina linebacker Myles Berry, a junior majoring in industrial distribution and logistics.
- Houston kicker Kyle Ramsey, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering.
- Memphis wide receiver Koby Drake, a redshirt freshman majoring in mechanical engineering.
- Navy fullback Isaac Ruoss, a senior majoring in quantitative economics who wants to become a U.S. Marines pilot.
- SMU offensive lineman Cameron Ervin, a sophomore majoring in management science.
- South Florida long snapper Bryce Bernard, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.
- Temple offensive tackle Michael Niese, who graduated with a degree in engineering, interned this past summer at Boeing and is pursuing a master's degree.
- Tulane tight end Connor Prouet, a redshirt junior majoring in environmental biology.
- Tulsa defensive back Bryson Powers, who graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and is now pursing an MBA.
- UCF kicker Daniel Obarski, a junior majoring in industrial engineering.
About the Military Bowl presented by Peraton
The Military Bowl presented by Peraton, benefiting the USO is the National Capital Region's college football postseason bowl game broadcast on ESPN and featuring a matchup between teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. Organized by the Military Bowl Foundation, the Bowl's mission is to benefit our nation's service members including a partnership with USO-Metro and the operation of Patriot Point, a 294-acre retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers on Maryland's Eastern Shore. For the latest updates, visit militarybowl.org, follow @MilitaryBowl on Twitter and Instagram and like Military Bowl on Facebook! The 2021 Military Bowl kicks off on December 27 at 2:30 ET. Tickets are on sale now at militarybowl.org/tickets.
About the Military Bowl Foundation
The Military Bowl Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates premier events in the National Capital Region to benefit our nation's service members. Originally formed to create the region's first-ever college football postseason bowl game, the Foundation now not only runs the Military Bowl presented by Peraton but additionally operates the DC Touchdown Club and Patriot Point, a retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The Foundation hosts engaging events throughout the year to raise money and awareness for military service members, directly impacting those who give so much of themselves for the country.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $30 billion in sales, our 90,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to the world's problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews.
3M supports initiatives that advance equitable STEM and business outcomes for under-represented and under-resourced populations by increasing STEM exposure through classroom experiences and afterschool and extracurricular activities, supporting experiential learning experiences and investing in teacher professional development and build a pipeline of diverse STEM teachers.