In his sophomore year of college, John was losing interest in Physics. Then he stumbled upon UG Research that changed things completely for him. John subsequently went on to get his Phd in Nuclear Physics. Today he is the President of the Goldwater Scholarship and the Excellence in Education Foundation. Set up in 1986 to honor Senator Barry Goldwater’s distinguished public service, the Scholarship promotes undergraduate research by awarding scholarships to students. In this podcast, John gives us an overview of The Barry Goldwater Scholarship, How Students can Apply, What they look for in their Scholars, and Advice for High Schoolers. In particular, we discuss the following with him: About Barry Goldwater Scholarship What are they looking for in their Scholars How to Apply What the Scholars receive Advice to Applicants Topics discussed in this episode: Introducing John Mateja, Barry Goldwater Scholarship [0:39] Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights [1:45] Professional Background [3:48] The Importance of UG Research [8:50] Barry Goldwater Scholarship [10:33] John’s Role as President [11:57] What do they look for in their Scholars? [13:13] The Application Process [15:11] Application Stats [16:51] What do Scholars get? [19:06] Success Stories [21:40] What’s Next? [25:34] Advice to High Schoolers [28:26] Close: Seek Research Opportunities [29:54] Our Guest: John Mateja is the President of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and the Excellence in Education Foundation. John holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Notre Dame. Memorable Quote: “The real gold in the Goldwater Scholarship is not the money. The real value in this scholarship is going through the application process, which forces you to think about your career in ways that many students don't think about their careers.” John Mateja. Episode Transcript: Please visit this Episode’s Transcript. Podcast Suggestions for High Schoolers: College Experiences Calls-to-action: Subscribe to our Weekly Podcast Newsletter. Follow us on Instagram. Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify.