Honors College Names 2013 Bodenhamer Fellows

Emily Barber

Darby Guinn

Mason Hollis

Rebecca McCann

Blake Sanders

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Honors College has selected five incoming freshmen to receive the university’s prestigious Bodenhamer Fellowship, which offers $70,000 in financial support and a strong sense of community to exceptional students with leadership potential.

The 2013 Bodenhamer Fellows are Emily Barber of Batesville; Darby Guinn of Ruston, La.; Mason Hollis of Fayetteville; Rebecca McCann of Fayetteville; and Blake Sanders of Hot Springs. This year’s group includes three National Merit Scholars and embraces a wide range of interests and skills, from writing and producing plays to automating the development of Facebook apps.

The Bodenhamer Foundation, acting through its trustee Lee Bodenhamer (B.S.B.A. 1957, M.B.A. 1961), a recent recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Arkansas, established the Bodenhamer Fellowships at the university in 1998. One hundred and eight exceptional students have benefited from the Bodenhamer Fellowship, which provides $70,000 for four years of study or $87,500 if the student is enrolled in a five-year degree program. In addition to covering the general costs of attending the university, the fellowship may be used for study abroad, attendance at professional and educational conferences, research, and special equipment that the student may need. The Bodenhamer fellowship program was highlighted in a recent Arkansas Short Takes video, “Extraordinary Fellows.”

Students must score 32 on the ACT or 1400 on the SAT and have a 3.8 high school grade point average to be eligible to apply. Extracurricular activities, community service and evidence of intellectual curiosity and creativity are also considered in the selection process.

“These Bodenhamer Fellows are not just bright students,” said Honors College Dean Bob McMath. “They are, without exception, people interested in serving. These students will be making a huge difference in our nation’s society and economy in years to come.”

In August the new class of Bodenhamer Fellows will travel to Washington, D.C., for a five-day trip that includes tours of the Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress and the Holocaust Museum, as well as other significant landmarks. An annual tradition that is funded by Dr. Bodenhamer, the Washington trip helps build bonds among the new Bodenhamer fellows that are strengthened by regular “Bodey Chow” dinners and an annual camping trip.

2013 Bodenhamer Fellows
Emily Barber, a graduate of Batesville High School, plans to follow in the footsteps of her great-great-grandmother, great-grandparents and grandparents to pursue a career in teaching with a discipline yet to be determined. She is a National Merit Scholar, the fifth person in her family to receive this honor. Barber has been active in a wide range of activities at Batesville High, serving as co-captain of the Pioneer Color Guard/Rifle Line, participating on the varsity cheerleading squad, and playing on the tennis team. She is president of the Junior Auxiliary Crown Club, a service organization that benefits women and children in the Batesville area, and serves as president of the youth group at Central United Methodist Church. She began fiddle lessons in Mountain View at age seven and later switched to classical violin, eventually adding clarinet to the mix; she was selected six years in a row to both the All-Region Orchestra and All-Region Band. Barber also enjoys teaching young children to play the piano. She is the daughter of Lannie and Cindy Barber.

Darby Guinn is a graduate of Ruston High School, where she was a leader in activities ranging from teaching and performing aerial circus feats to writing and performing in an original play that used Disney princesses to critique modern entertainment. As the daughter of a theater professor at Louisiana Tech, Guinn grew up on stage. In high school, she built on her flair for performance as a four-year participant and captain of the speech and debate team. She competed at the state level, notably winning the state championship in declamation in 2010 and 2011 and the Renaissance Award in 2011; she qualified for the Catholic Forensics League National Tournament in Declamation in 2011. Guinn also served as co-captain of the women’s soccer team, was selected to participate in a Cyber Discovery Camp and helped to build a car for the Shell Eco-Marathon. She has volunteered at the North Central Louisiana Arts Council Summer Art Camp since 2010. She is the daughter of Katie Guinn.

Mason Hollis graduated from Fayetteville High School, where he won recognition as a National Merit Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction. Hollis built his first website in fifth grade by copying and pasting HTML code, and has been pushing the limits of what he can do with computers since that time. Most recently, as production manager for a local web design firm now based in California, he automated the process to create Facebook apps. As a member of Fayetteville High’s Environmental and Spatial Technology program, he helped to develop a garden watering system powered by a rider pedaling a stationary bike; that project was a National Service Project and Siemens We Can Change Challenge Finalist. Hollis is a member of the National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society and Mu Alpha Theta, an honors math society. He is active in the Central United Methodist Church and also plays on Fayetteville High’s “Darkside” Ultimate Frisbee team, ranked 29^th in the nation. He is the son of Trey and Jill Hollis.

Rebecca McCann, a graduate of Fayetteville High School, developed a passion for repairing mechanical devices as a six-year volunteer at a local bicycle recycling shop. She hopes to pursue her interests in the natural world, sustainable development and hands-on tinkering through a career as an environmental engineer. She is a National Merit Scholar, AP Scholar with Honors, and has won recognition from the Arkansas Student Press Association, Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and science fairs at the regional and state levels. McCann is a member of the National Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta, the Creative Writing Club, and is a founding member and secretary of Key Club, a service organization. She was features editor for her school newspaper and was part of the newspaper staff that won an All-Arkansas award in 2012. McCann is active in the youth group at her church and participated in Arkansas Governor’s School and the University of Arkansas Engineering Summer Academy. She is the daughter of Roy and Sandy McCann.

Blake Sanders is a graduate of Lake Hamilton High School, where he was ranked first in his senior class, graduating with highest honors, and was honored as an AP Scholar with Distinction. His interests range from entrepreneurship to world history, particularly military history. He has been active in student council throughout high school, serving as vice president this year. He was one of four seniors selected to serve as junior counselor at the Arkansas Association of Student Councils. Sanders is a member of the varsity tennis team, competing in doubles and singles play at the state level. He has served on the Youth Advisory Council of the Arkansas Community Foundation throughout high school and was selected to participate in Leadership Hot Springs and the American Legion Boys State. As a sophomore in high school, Sanders organized a Coats for Kids drive that over the course of three years collected 300 coats for children in need. He is currently pursuing a private pilot’s license. He is the son of Ed and Donna Sanders.