Honors College Selects Executive Board for Student Ambassadors Program

Cheiko Hara

The Honors College Executive Board includes (from left) Jenna Kempkes, Ben Walworth, Ria Collins, Anna Johnson, Aisha Al-Rizzo, Tracy Tanner and Meg Bozarth.

The Honors College is pleased to announce the first executive board for the college's Ambassadors service program. The board consists of six officers including honors students Aisha Al-Rizzo, Meg Bozarth, Jenna Kempkes, Ben Walworth, Ria Collins, Anna Johnson and Tracy Tanner, who will serve for the 2022-23 school year.

The executive board will lead the Honors College Ambassadors service program, which has been active on campus for more than 15 years. Ambassadors promote various opportunities available through the Honors College, from connecting with prospective students to volunteering at workshops for current students. Besides managing the program's day-to-day operations, the board will also facilitate volunteer opportunities for fellow student ambassadors that support the Honors College and external organizations.

"The executive board adds an important new dimension to the Honors Ambassadors program," said Chelsea Hodge, director of grants and research innovation, who oversees the program. "The exec board is working to expand the program so that it combines service, leadership and community to make it more rewarding. The officers' perspective as students, combined with their extensive experiences on campus, make them invaluable to the growth and success of this program. I am excited to see what they do!"

Officers of Executive Board

President — Aisha Al-Rizzo
Aisha Al-Rizzo, a junior Honors College Fellow from Little Rock, majors in biology and minors in medical humanities, with a pre-medical concentration. Alongside academic responsibilities, Al-Rizzo takes part in the Kumar and Family and Community Intervention laboratories, under the direction of her research professors, researching fibroblast growth factors and their biomedical applications, as well as the autism spectrum and disruptive behaviors present in children and adolescents. She is active in the Arab Student Association, an organization she co-founded in 2021 for the purpose of uniting Middle Eastern and North African students and bringing together students of other backgrounds for the purpose of encouraging a more open forum. Al-Rizzo also tutors University Chemistry II and holds membership in Alpha Epsilon Delta: Arkansas Alpha, the premedical honor society at the University of Arkansas. 

Vice President of Operations — Meg Bozarth
Meg Bozarth is a junior from Bolingbrook, Illinois, who is studying civil engineering and French with a minor in mathematics. While at the U of A Bozarth has participated in campus ministries and engineering professional organizations, founded an RSO for the disabled community, and researched water treatment and quality measurement at a pilot plant in Colorado.

Vice President of Relations — Jenna Kempkes
Jenova (Jenna) Kempkes is a junior from Lincoln, Nebraska who is majoring in biomedical engineering with a pre-med concentration. She is actively involved in Army ROTC, Medical Humanities, Pre-Health Professions Association, and the Study Abroad Ambassador Program. Her goal is to pursue emergency medicine in the Army. 

Secretary — Ben Walworth
Ben Walworth is a junior Toller Honors College Fellow from Branson, Missouri, who is majoring in marketing and minoring in communication and nonprofit studies. Walworth is active in several organizations on campus, including the Volunteer Action Center, the Distinguished Lectures Committee, the One Book One Community Committee, and the Walton Honors Student Executive Board. Off-campus, he volunteers at Walton Arts Center. Walworth currently serves as the Honors College Development Intern and has previously completed internships with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, United Way of Northwest Arkansas, and Taneyhills Library. 

Treasurer — Ria Collins
Ria Collins is a sophomore Honors College Fellow from Bentonville. She is majoring in business economics and accounting with a minor in political science. Collins is a member of the Dean's Student Collaboration Team at the Sam M. Walton College of Business and served as the Honors College Social Media Intern last year. She hopes to help students get involved on campus, find classes and majors in Walton College, and connect with Honors College staff to advance their academic and future career.

Director of Outreach — Anna Johnson
Anna Johnson is a junior from Lenexa, Kansas, who is pursuing a major in chemistry and minor in medical humanities. She plans to pursue a career in medicine. On campus, Johnson is involved with the Passionate About Literacy program through the Volunteer Action Center and the premedical honors society. She is also a member of the Coridan lab group in the chemistry department. Outside of classes, she spends her time working at an ophthalmology clinic, volunteering and hiking. 

Director of Engagement — Tracy Tanner
Tracy Tanner is a senior from northeast Arkansas who is studying accounting, finance and information systems. She is involved in several accounting and finance RSOs, university organizations such as IFriend and Empower, and serves as a Study Abroad Student Ambassador. She is currently writing her thesis on the internship she held last summer with Bank OZK's real estate specialties group with the help of her thesis advisor, Molly Rapert, associate professor of marketing. She wants to help students become involved and connected across campus!