Thomas Kneeland ’24 recently offered gratitude to WPI’s generous philanthropic supporters for affording him the
opportunity to study at the university. From Kneeland’s scholarship and Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) travel to his time spent in the school’s computer labs and music spaces, the computer science and music double major appreciates all that is made possible for him and his peers by WPI’s many philanthropic donors.
“My scholarships provide me a chance to proceed and flourish at WPI. I am enjoying my time here very much, and I am grateful to WPI’s scholarship donors.” The Arthur E. Smith Scholarship and Sigma Pi Endowed Scholarship are very important to me, because they afford me the opportunity and freedom to progress within my WPI educational journey and become a better student and human.”
Kneeland recently returned from his Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) in Switzerland and shares, “My IQP experience in Switzerland helped me grow in many ways, both as a WPI student and as a person in general. I learned a lot about myself and other people during the project. Being able to live and work in a foreign country was something I will always be appreciative to WPI for providing me.”
Mindful of the generous donor giving which supports so many of the school’s learning spaces, Kneeland hopes to use his degrees to give back in some way. “When it comes to computer science, I would love to put my knowledge to use in a way that helps others. For example, designing apps or programs for medical devices such as insulin pumps is a cause very close to me, and I would be interested in diving into it professionally with my degree after graduation.”
Working towards a Humanities and Arts degree, Kneeland has already made a positive impact while participating in many of WPI’s instrumental musical groups. “I am passionate about playing brass instruments from trumpet to sousaphone. Academically, I most enjoy performing with Professor Douglas Olsen's jazz and brass ensembles, but as an extra-curricular experience, I formed the student led WPI Brass Band. I compose musical arrangements for groups and enjoy entertaining and sharing my passion with others.” Kneeland adds, “I look forward to my continued work on both my computer science and music degrees. These are both areas of my life I thoroughly enjoy, and I want to continue working on projects where I can put both of my passions to use.”