U of A Honors College Selects 2023 Fellows Class

Photo by Philip Thomas

Gearhart Hall

The U of A Honors College has selected 79 exceptional high school students, including 67 from Arkansas, to receive Honors College Fellowships.

The fellowships, which award up to $80,000, largely cover tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other academic expenses over four years, providing these students the freedom to pursue original research, study abroad, service learning and other academic interests.  

The fellowship funds can also be combined with other scholarships and grants, such as the more than $1.2 million in study abroad and research grants that the Honors College awards to students each year. 

“We once again had an incredibly competitive pool for fellowships this year,” said Noah Pittman, associate dean of enrollment for the Honors College. “Each of our new Honors College fellows is incredibly bright and accomplished, and we look forward to helping each of them achieve their goals at the University of Arkansas and beyond.”

The new fellows boast an average grade point average of 4.25 and an average composite ACT score of 33.9, and 10% are the first in their family to attend college.

The members of this distinguished class plan to study a diverse range of subjects, from biology and chemical engineering to anthropology, data science and architecture.

Many have achieved notable recognition. Within this group of new fellows, 29 were named National Merit Finalists. Overall, each of these new fellows has an impressive record full of accomplishments.

The fellowship application process is rigorous. Students must score at least a 32 on the ACT and achieve a minimum 3.9 grade point average to apply. Each student’s application is then reviewed by Honors College administrators and faculty for evidence of intellectual curiosity, leadership potential and community involvement. The selection process also involves a timed writing test and a campus interview for finalists.

Including the 2023 recipients, a total of 1,685 students have benefited from the Honors College Fellowship program. Recent fellows include Truman, Goldwater and Udall Scholars, Fulbright award winners and an Olympic pole vaulter.

Fellowship alumni are launching startups, taking leadership roles at international corporations and nonprofit organizations, and pursuing higher degrees at schools such as Harvard Law School, Johns Hopkins University, Cambridge University, University of Chicago Medical School, the California Institute of Technology, University of Virginia and Tufts University School of Medicine.

The Honors College Fellowships were made possible by a portion of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation’s $300 million gift to the university in 2002. 

HONORS COLLEGE FELLOWS, CLASS OF 2027 

• Britton Adair, Haas Hall Academy - Fayetteville
• Jacob Bodishbaugh, Haas Hall Academy - Fayetteville
• Charlotte Boehme, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts - Little Rock
• Wilson Boyd, Shawnee Mission North High School - Shawnee, Kansas
• Joshua Bozarth, Bolingbrook High School - Bolingbrook, Illinois
• Jenna Bray, Dierks High School - Umpire
• Kiya Britt, Bryant High School - Bryant
• Zachary Brown, Cabot High School - Cabot
• Jenna Burns, Haas Hall Academy - Rogers
• Kenja Dresel, Fayetteville High School - Fayetteville
• Elena Durren, Bentonville High School - Bentonville
• Gabriella Erb, Dripping Springs High School - Austin, Texas
• Sydnee Errico, Denison Senior High School - Denison, Texas
• Wyatt Fournier, Farmington High School - Farmington
• Carson Fulbright, Melbourne High School - Melbourne
• Sydney Hammond, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts - Hot Springs
• Elliott Hassler, Mckinney High School - Mckinney, Texas
• Christopher Heffernan, Bentonville High School - Bella Vista
• Dason Hensley, Valley Springs High School - Western Grove
• Abigail Henson, Joe T. Robinson High School - Little Rock
• Audrey Hill, Edmond Santa Fe High School - Edmond, Oklahoma
• Alton  Holscher, Bentonville High School - Bentonville
• Benjamin Hopkins, Pulaski Academy - Little Rock
• Isaac Hubberd, eStem High Public Charter School - Little Rock
• Christopher Incao, Rogers Heritage High School - Rogers
• Benjamin Jacobus, Fayetteville High School - Fayetteville
• Alekhya Kavi, Conway High School - Conway
• Grace Kim, Conway High School - Conway
• Nathaniel Kingsbury, Har-Ber High School - Springdale
• Lydia Krebs, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts - Maumelle
• Charlotte Kuli, Pulaski Academy - Little Rock
• Isabella McCoy, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts - Fort Smith
• Brady McMullen, Beebe High School - El Paso
• Macie Middendorf, Harrah High School - Newalla, Oklahoma
• Brett Miller, Bentonville High School - Bentonville
• Yoobin Min, Little Rock Central High School - Little Rock
• Jenna Molleston, Little Rock Christian Academy - Little Rock
• Kylie Mollner, Fayetteville High School - Fayetteville
• Esther Moore, Life Way Christian School - Bentonville
• Charis Morasch, Blue Springs South High School - Lees Summit, Missouri
• Lyndsey Morgan, Briarcrest Christian School - Memphis, Tennessee
• Conner Morrison, Greenbrier High School - Greenbrier
• Patrick Mush, Southside High School - Fort Smith
• James Myers, Har-Ber High School - Tontitown
• Elijah Nason, Pottsville High School, Russellville
• Ada Norcross, Harrison High School - Harrison
• Megan Olmstead, West Monroe High School - West Monroe, Louisiana 
• Sage Paschall, Haas Hall Academy - Fayetteville
• Laura Pendleton, Northside High School - Fort Smith
• Haley Person, Springdale High School - Springdale
• Lauryn Peters, Har-Ber High School - Springdale
• Owen Pickett, Bentonville High School - Bentonville
• Sohan Prabhudesai, Haas Hall Academy - Fayetteville, Springdale
• Sriya Puvvada, Haas Hall Academy - Bentonville
• Dhruva Rangarathna, Bentonville High School - Bentonville
• Anna Ratycz, Mount Saint Mary Academy - Little Rock
• Alexis Reardon, Searcy High School - Searcy
• Wyatt Rice, Bentonville High School - Bentonville
• Annabelle Ridlon, Joe T. Robinson High School - Little Rock           
• Jackson Roberts, Lawrence Free State High School - Lawrence, Kansas
• Deeya Rohant, Bryant High School - Benton
• Astrid Roll, Northside High School - Fort Smith
• David Rotaru, Southside High School - Fort Smith
• Caleb Ryan, Providence Classical Christian Academy, Rogers
• Adrian Salazar, Rogers High School - Rogers
• Gaby Sledge, Searcy High School - Searcy
• Benjamin Smith, Fayetteville High School - Fayetteville
• Mackay Smith, Dierks High School - Umpire
• Olivia Smith, Bentonville High School - Little Flock
• John Sooter, home school - Bentonville
• John Storer, The Academies at Jonesboro High Schoo -, Jonesboro
• John Taylor, Jessieville High School - Jessieville
• Rodney Thomas, Bentonville High School - Rogers
• Santosh Vangoor, Bentonville West High School - Bentonville
• Ani Webb, Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 
• Eric Wilkins, Haas Hall Academy - Fayetteville
• Lilly Williams, Greenwood High School - Fort Smith
• Hannah Willroth, Haas Hall Academy - Fayetteville, Springdale
• Emily Ye, Haas Hall Academy - Bentonville, Rogers  

About the Honors College: The University of Arkansas Honors College was established in 2002 and brings together high-achieving undergraduate students and the university’s top professors to share transformative learning experiences. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $80,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students’ academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. All Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored research.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.