Shippensburg University senior Brad Foreman was announced as the 2018 winner of the Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence and received a $1,000 prize from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Brad Foreman is set to graduate in May after majoring in physics with minors in biology, chemistry, mathematics, French, Spanish and military science. He currently has a GPA of 3.8 and has made the Dean’s List every semester since his freshman year.

Foreman has accomplished a lot at SU, but only a few years ago he stopped attending college and decided to join the Maryland Army National Guard instead. 

However, Foreman decided to give college another shot after a lot of persuasion and encouragement from his brother. He applied to SU, concentrating on his application essay to persuade the admissions office. 

Foreman was concerned that his past academic record would deter his acceptance to any university he applied to. He then found himself accepted and enrolled at SU.

After his acceptance, Foreman decided to push himself academically. 

“I chose physics because it was a subject that I thought would be too difficult to study on my own. College is expensive, so to maximize the value, I picked something I probably couldn’t have learned independently. I picked the minors because they’re all subjects I love, and I wanted to get a well-rounded education with a little more depth than required by my program,” Foreman said.

Time management is an important aspect for any college student, especially Foreman. To complete all the necessary classes for his major and minors, Foreman has taken up to 24 credits a semester. 

“If you do it incrementally, you find the transition isn’t all that bad,” he said.

Most students who are spending so much time on school would need a lot of inspiration. Foreman’s biggest inspiration is his daughter, Luminara. 

“I always wonder what she’ll think when she’s older, and if I’ll be able to give her solid advice without being embarrassed of my own performance and decisions,” he said. 

“Everything I do will only make me more well-rounded and help me to provide for her in the future.”

Foreman offered some words of advice for underclassmen who are struggling with their first few semesters. 

“Find something on campus that they’re passionate about to get involved in, and make sure they absolutely love their major, too. The extracurriculars can help keep you [stay] motivated and energetic, and if you aren’t enamored of your program, you’re in the wrong one.” He added, “Find your limits, and push them slowly — don’t take on too much at once.”

Foreman has been involved in many campus activities, including the ROTC and holding the titles of web director at The Slate and creator of the first Spanish program on WSYC-88.7. He has also completed research internships with NASA and volunteer work in Mexico.

After graduation, Foreman will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the military intelligence branch, and will be working on campus as the ROTC Gold Bar Recruiter until late September, when he will transition into military intelligence officer training. 

Foreman has not shut the door on the idea of graduate school, but he will wait a few years until he decides. 

“I really want to focus on being a good military intelligence officer before I get back into school.”

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