Free software may not seem like much of a reward to most students, but to Maneesh R. Amancharla '00-'99, receiving AutoCAD, a design program worth $3500, is quite an honor.

Amancharla was awarded the software by the National Alliance for Excellence (NAE), a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and supporting the educational and career goals of America's outstanding high school and college students.

NAE acts as an advocacy group, providing the software to eligible students who are going into engineering.

"I see myself more mechanically than electronically inclined, although I don't know exactly," said Amancharla, who is interested in a career in biomedical engineering. "The future remains to be seen."

Amancharla received a plaque in recognition of his achievement last Friday at the Freshman Dean's Office from Linda Paras, president of NAE, and Peter Mancini, a manager in the education department of Autodesk, Inc., the company which manufactures AutoCAD.

Dean of Freshman Elizabeth S. Nathans, as well as Assistant Dean of Freshmen Eleanor A. Sparagana and Dean of the Division of Applied Sciences Paul C. Martin '51 were on hand to witness the presentation.

The NAE receives applications for merit scholarships in four specific categories, one of which is academics. Paras said that Amancharla came to their attention because of his overall scholastic achievement, which included standardized test scores, Advanced Placement scores, class rank and other accolades.

"Maneesh is winning an award based entirely on talent and ability because it was achieved competitively," Paras said. "Thousands of students apply, and Maneesh had to be a finalist in order to be considered nationally."

Paras said she founded the NAE because she believes the term "scholarship" has lost its original meaning of rewarding excellence.

"Students are most often given scholarships based on financial need rather than merit," she said in an NAE press release. "It is important that students in need of financial aid receive assistance but not in lieu of merit scholarships to acknowledge outstanding performance in academics and the arts.

"We care about recognizing Maneesh, and he will do great things in his lifetime," she added