Painesville resident earns AFCEA intelligence scholarship at Mercyhurst University

ERIE, PA (02/16/2012)(readMedia)-- Mercyhurst University intelligence studies major Joseph Reinhard distinguished himself among a field of 14 students nationwide to earn one of only two undergraduate intelligence scholarships awarded this year by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA).

Each year AFCEA awards two undergraduate "intelligence scholarships" in the amount of $2,250 each to students enrolled full-time in an undergraduate degree-granting program in fields directly related to the support of U.S. intelligence or homeland security enterprises and/or foreign languages. These are merit scholarships based on demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and financial need.

Mercyhurst has been well represented in AFCEA's scholarship program in recent years with Cara Cantakis winning one of the two awards in 2011 and JoEllen Marsh taking one of two in 2010. Joining Reinhard in taking home this year's honors is another Mercyhurst student, Spencer Vuksic.

Reinhard, a junior from Painesville, Ohio, maintains a strict course load, including Mandarin, and has a current GPA of 3.91. He brings a "can-do work ethic to every project he does," according to his faculty recommendation. "He is mature, quickly grasps terms of reference and has excellent communication skills."

AFCEA is a non-profit membership association serving the military, government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications, information technology, intelligence, and global security.