Tyse Hipps, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a Materials Engineering Specialist at Ozark.
We caught up with him recently to discuss his experience in public service, and his advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
I wasn’t ready to just assign myself to maintain existing systems. I wanted to help innovate and lead the next generation of materials and manufacturing.
Tyse Hipps, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a Materials Engineering Specialist at Ozark.
We caught up with him recently to discuss his experience in public service, and his advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
The opportunity to work and serve drew me to the NobleReach scholarship program. My journey in engineering began with two formative internships at Fortune 500 companies before completing my materials science and engineering degree. While these experiences helped shape my career aspirations, my first post-graduation role revealed a gap between my ambitions and reality. I found myself primarily focusing on legacy products – important work, but not the innovative engineering I had envisioned.
My drive to create and innovate stems from two major influences: my family’s entrepreneurial background in construction and restaurants, where we approach each project or recipe by envisioning the final product while working methodically from the foundation up. Also, my time at ASU, where the culture of innovation, though sometimes joked about as a student, became deeply ingrained in my professional mindset.
Choosing to study engineering, at least for me, was a hard, upward battle. I wasn’t ready to just assign myself to maintain existing systems. I wanted to help innovate and lead the next generation of materials and manufacturing. That is why I applied.
Success in a competitive interview pool comes from thorough preparation and authentic presentation. Here are my key strategies for standing out:
First, master the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method. This structured approach ensures your responses clearly demonstrate your capabilities through concrete examples. Take your most significant experiences and practice articulating them using this framework.
Create a comprehensive practice routine. I’ve developed a personal question bank from my previous interviews, which has proven invaluable.
For those new to interviewing, start by researching industry-specific questions from reputable sources like professional organizations or career development websites. While AI tools like ChatGPT can supplement your preparation, they should complement, not replace, traditional research.
Practice with purpose. Schedule mock interviews with mentors, friends, or family members who can provide constructive feedback. Record yourself to analyze your communication style, body language, and areas for improvement. Review your most current resume thoroughly, ensuring you can speak confidently about every detail and connect your experiences to NobleReach’s mission.
Research is crucial. Study NobleReach’s values, current scholars’ work, placements, and recent initiatives. This knowledge helps you ask thoughtful questions and demonstrate genuine interest in the program.
Finally, prepare your physical and digital interview space. Whether virtual or in-person, professional presentation matters. Test your technology/connection in advance for interviews or plan your attire and travel time for in-person meetings.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to rehearse answers, but to build confidence in articulating your unique value proposition to the NobleReach community.
On their first day, next year’s Scholars can expect a blend of excitement and nerves along with warm welcomes. The morning will likely begin with typical first-day jitters – I remember my own nervous anticipation melting away during my commute on the subway, which reminded me of happy memories living abroad.
Don’t hesitate to connect with others around you as you commute to the building. On my way to the building I ran into another scholar, Elijah. It was awesome meeting someone just by chance, I noticed someone dressed up and on a mission like me. We did end up getting a little lost trying to find the building but eventually we found it and were still early! 😊
Professionally, Scholars can expect a structured orientation that introduces them to the program’s expectations, team members, and resources. And a cohort team building activity to encourage the new cohort to bond. I remember the team building activity to be important to Arun, he seemed to be stressing, he really wanted us to form connections that can last a lifetime. I know it’s a bit early to know for sure but I believe Arun’s lifelong connections goal is a success.
I would also say soak it up and enjoy the moment despite the nerves you were chosen for a reason. You belong!
I’ve learned that regardless of an organization’s size, similar challenges arise because every job involves working with people. This has taught me the importance of extending grace to both myself and my coworkers, fostering a more understanding and collaborative work environment.
Technological innovation is most impactful when it is grounded in deep consideration of the human experience
Caroline Gish, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a Project Analyst at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
We caught up with her recently to discuss her experience in public service and her advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
Applying for the inaugural cohort of NobleReach Scholars was a bit of an exercise in trust. Still although I had limited information about the program, I could tell from the board and team bios, as well as the language on the website, that NobleReach was committed to bringing together a community of individuals with a shared mission to solve complex problems for the greater good of all people, not just for profit. I believe technological innovation is most impactful when it is grounded in deep consideration of the human experience, particularly when addressing the challenges unique to government. As a computational linguist, I was eager to apply my technical and human-centered skillset in innovative ways for the public good. Being a NobleReach Scholar has given me the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded, mission-driven individuals and contribute to projects that will create meaningful impact.
When prepping for your interview, I would recommend spending some time reflecting on your academic and/or professional journey so far and the decisions that have shaped it. Why did you choose your particular field of study? What motivated you to take that specific class or select that project topic? How have you been of service in your previous internships, school classes, or jobs? What are some challenges that you are excited to work on in the future? The initial NobleReach interview is your opportunity to go beyond your resume and showcase the passions and values that drive you as a person and a future leader.
While your on-paper degrees and achievements are obviously important, and commendable, aspects of your application, the purpose of the NobleReach interviews is really to learn more about you as a person. Be your authentic self when responding to questions in the interview. The interviewers aren’t looking for coined responses that sound good; they’re looking for the spark of an innovative spirit, a desire to make an impact, and a willingness to serve no matter the challenges that arise.
Lots of learning! The first day, and the first week more broadly, of the bootcamp is set up as a series of introductions. You will be introduced to key members of the NobleReach team and learn about their varied (and super interesting) journeys into technology-focused public service, you will be introduced to your cohort of amazing, driven scholars and hear about their reasons for wanting to join the program, and you will learn about what it means to work for the public good both inside and outside of government.
Though you’ll most likely be a bit exhausted from the rush of the first day, you’ll get to come back the next day to a welcoming space and learn more from people who have undertaken impactful work while building up your skillset for your own successful future in mission-driven work.
The biggest thing I have learned so far is that the skillset you come in with can be utilized in many different ways. The federal government has its own set of unique challenges that you won’t encounter anywhere else, and this requires creative applications of skills. In your role, you will inevitably be asked to take on tasks that lie outside of what you (think you) have the training for, but if you stay organized and passionate, you can tackle the challenges (and be excited to do so). You’ll ultimately come out of the experience with a much greater scope of ability. And no matter your academic background or specific skillset, if you keep service at the heart of your work and stay oriented toward the human, you will excel and be a successful asset to any federal agency or mission-driven, private sector organization.
I didn’t imagine I would have anywhere near the impact that I have already had with my placement.
Caitlin Casey, one of this year’s NobleReach Scholars, is currently serving in a yearlong role as a TSO Project Manager at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
We caught up with her recently to discuss her experience in the first two months of public service and her advice for anyone considering applying for the program.
Applications for the 2025 NobleReach Scholars cohort are open now.
First, show up every day with an open mind. it’s good to have one because there’s no other way to figure anything out. Joining the federal government is joining a large school of fish in a massive ocean of other schools of fish. The scale, scope, and legacy of the places you’ll work at are part of why your service matters and why you’ll take so much from this experience, but it means you’re joining a large pre-existing orchestra. You’ll get spun around if you don’t learn from your fellow fish and enter following the stream. When in Rome do as the Romans do, when working in federal government watch and learn with an open mind.
Next, the learning curve and timelines are long. After the first couple of weeks at my placement I came to the startling realization that my year-long placement would not nearly be enough time to become a deeply knowledgeable veteran employee. There will be big projects and initiatives and I will move on from my placement long before they reach their “end.” Some of our NobleReach speakers described working in the public sector like a relay. You run with the baton until it’s your time to pass it on, and you’re likely never going to be running the anchor leg.
Finally, you are appreciated. I didn’t imagine I would have anywhere near the impact that I have already had with my placement. That’s not to say that I’ve reinvented some wheel, but that there’s so much work to do! During the NobleReach bootcamp, one of my fellow Scholars described public service as “finding a gap to stand in,” and the first couple weeks of my placement have enforced this definition. So many people wake up every day and stand in gaps for me, I appreciate them more consciously now.
I have been most surprised and impressed by the immense talent and drive I’ve found in the projects and people at my placement. Despite applying for and being excited for the fellowship, I still entered my placement with a lot of negative preconceived notions about why the public sector struggled to produce results and successes. Now I can say without a doubt it is not for lack of incredible talent, effort, and vision.
My decision to apply to a NobleReach Scholar was a very easy choice once I found the program. While applying to jobs, I was really frustrated at having both too many and too few options. I wanted something like a rotational program, but with a cohort. I wanted to expand on the skills I learned in my master’s program, but I wanted work that helped other people. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I wanted to learn a lot. NobleReach solved for all of this. If you’re reading this, you’re way ahead of where I was, and good for you.
The agency or firm you work at does not have to be “themed” around the work you want to do for you to be able to get good experience in your desired field or practice. In fact, most agencies that aren’t “themed” after your specific topic might need your expertise even more. The great thing about working in the public sector is that these skills can go anywhere, and cool work is being done everywhere. Even better than cool, the work you do this year will help make the lives of those around you better. It’s a win-win if you have an open mind.
I sort of cheated by majoring in public policy in undergrad, so I was more prepared than I needed to be to start well. The experience and education I’ve drawn on most in my first month of federal government work has been all my various athletic teams. The classes, papers, research, and internships I have experienced have helped me, but nothing has prepared me as well as all the first days and times I was incredibly confused entering new group environments. Everyone at my placement expected to have to teach me what various acronyms and file paths meant, but I needed to show up prepared to ask.
The NobleReach Scholars Program transforms ambitious, mission-driven individuals into future leaders in tech, science, and entrepreneurship. This program is both a pathway into public service as well as a platform to solve the most pressing challenges of our time.