University of Arkansas Names Bodenhamer Fellows

Amy Fletcher of Green County Tech High School of Paragould

Faud Haydar of Fayetteville High School

Nicholas Kordsmeier of Conway High School

Rachael Pelligrino of St. Mary’s Academy of Little Rock

Jessica Perez of Horatio High School

Christopher Sontag of Rogers High School

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Six Arkansas high school students have been awarded prestigious Bodenhamer Fellowships to attend the University of Arkansas this fall. A total of 91 students have received Bodenhamer Fellowships to attend the university since program was established in 1998.

This year’s new Bodenhamer Fellows are Amy Fletcher from Greene County Tech High School in Paragould; Fuad “Kikko” Haydar from Fayetteville High School; Nicholas Kordsmeier from Conway High School; Rachael Pelligrino from Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock; Jessica Perez from Horatio High School; and Christopher Sonntag from Rogers High School. 

“The Bodenhamer Fellows at the University of Arkansas represent a tradition of academic achievement, leadership and service, and this group definitely continues that tradition,” said Bob McMath, dean of the Honors College and chair of this year’s selection committee. “We expect great things from each one of them, during their careers at the university and beyond.”

Each fellow will receive up to $50,000 for four years of study. In addition to covering the normal costs of attending the university, Bodenhamer Fellowships make it possible for students to study abroad, attend professional and educational conferences, and conduct academic research under faculty supervision.

The Bodenhamer Foundation, acting through its trustee, Dr. Lee Bodenhamer (B.S.B.A. 1957, M.B.A. 1961), established the Bodenhamer Fellowships in 1998. Competition for the Bodenhamer Fellowships is intense. To be considered, students must score at least 32 on the ACT and have a grade point average of 3.8 and must present essays about their academic and community interests along with letters of recommendation. A committee of University of Arkansas professors interviews finalists and selects the Fellows.

This summer, Bodenhamer will treat the incoming fellows to a five-day trip to Washington, D.C. The students will tour the Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the Holocaust Museum, and several other significant landmarks. The new Bodenhamer Fellows will be accompanied by Patrick Stewart, an assistant professor of political science, and his wife, Jennifer Stewart.