A Passion for the Tradecraft

From a young age, Alexander Chrvala had a passion for knowing the world. That passion led him to attend the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, as a geography major. Chrvala received a USGIF Scholarship both as a graduating high school senior in 2018 and again this year as an undergraduate. Along with his B.A. in geography, Chrvala is completing a  certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS). Throughout the course of his studies, he has gained expertise in GEOINT-related topics, including remote sensing, web GIS and cartography.

As a prior recipient of a USGIF scholarship, Chrvala knows the value of membership in the Foundation. He has learned about and attended a wide range of events, including the 2019 GEOINT Symposium.

“[But] just as importantly, winning a USGIF scholarship has afforded me greater security and flexibility in my education, especially as campus life has grown unpredictable due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Chrvala said.

As he approaches graduation, Chrvala hopes to join the GEOINT workforce as a government employee. Over the past two summers, he worked as an intelligence analyst intern at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), where he gained both practical skills and a professional network.

“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to make an impact in the intelligence community and look forward to forging a career based on GEOINT,” Chrvala said. “I’m incredibly grateful to USGIF for empowering our nation’s students to take full advantage of the wealth of opportunities available in both the academic and professional spheres.”

Featured Image: University of Mary Washington Campus | Photo Credit: UMW

This year’s EdGEOcation Giving Fund at USGIF will directly support the 2021 USGIF Scholarship Program.

Your donation will contribute to:

• Ten (10) $1,000 scholarships to high school students for a total of $10,000;
• Twenty (20) $3,000 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate, and doctoral students for a total of $60,000.

To further the advancement of the geospatial tradecraft, USGIF is dedicated to assisting promising students studying GEOINT, geospatial sciences and related fields. The annual USGIF Scholarship Program recognizes the achievements of graduating high school seniors, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. USGIF has awarded $1.4 million in scholarships since launching the program in 2004.

To learn more about the EdGEOcation Giving Fund and how to donate, visit usgif.org/donate.