Fulbright College Announces 2024 Inclusive Excellence Scholarship Winners and Ambassadors

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IE Scholarship recipients Annette Acosta, Briana Fleming, Kenshi Kawade, Jayakumari Nair and Cassie Riddick.

Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences' Inclusive Excellence team recently awarded several Inclusive Excellence Scholarships, as well as selected the Fulbright College Student Ambassadors for the 2024-25 academic year.

These honors are part of an effort by Fulbright College to champion student success by promoting student inclusion and achievement. 

"I want to celebrate the achievements of these student leaders, who help to promote the 'peace through education' mission of the college through their hard work and dedication," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College.

"The future is bright for these esteemed scholars and ambassadors, and I cannot wait to witness their future successes," she added. 

IE Scholarship

The Fulbright College Inclusive Excellence scholarship program started last year, and it aims to uplift and reward student success with a $1,000 award allotted per student. 

Thanks to generous donations, Fulbright College was able to grant the award to five undergraduate students for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

This year's recipients are:

• Annette Acosta, freshman psychology and political science major from Springdale
• Briana Fleming, senior interdisciplinary studies major focused in African and African American studies, human development and family science, and political science from Bryant
• Kenshi Kawade, senior international relations major from Tokyo, Japan
• Jayakumari Nair, senior Arabic, Middle East studies and Asian studies major from Fayetteville
• Cassie Riddick, junior communications and pre-law major from Siloam Springs

"Each of these students has achieved academic excellence and contributed to an inclusive educational environment, and each aspires to do even more," said Romona West, the college's assistant dean of inclusive excellence and strategic initiatives. 

"The Fulbright College Dean's Office Inclusive Excellence Committee is overjoyed to be able to support these scholars and we anticipate unprecedented levels of achievement from this group as they continue their academic careers," she added. 

Scholarship awardees must have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 for incoming freshman or a GPA of 2.5 for all returning students and must demonstrate a commitment to an inclusive educational environment at Fulbright College.

Student Ambassadors

The Fulbright College Student Ambassadors program, which began in 2021, focuses on professional development and leadership skills. Ambassadors support the college's recruitment efforts and student outreach programs, while participating in community engagement opportunities and professional development events.

The ambassadors for the 2024-25 school year are:

• Madison Bailey, a junior social work major
• Katie Camp, a freshman biology major
• Kaytlin Dwyer, a junior anthropology major
• Cynthia Ferlin, a junior biology major
• Natalie Franklin, a junior history major
• Caleb Jones, a junior biology major 
• Alekhya Kavi, a sophomore biology major
• Will Lambley, a sophomore communications major
• Breanna McCall, a sophomore psychology major
• Matthew McGoldrick, a senior communications major
• Abbi Melton, a senior social work major
• Jayakumari Nair, a junior Arabic, Middle East studies and Asian studies major
• Ashlynn Oyemola, a junior criminology and sociology major
• Sophia Pan, a junior graphic design major
• Taksh Patel, a sophomore physics major
• Peterjean Rutherford Jr., a senior criminology major
• Olivia Ramirez, a junior communications major
• Shelby Stone, a sophomore international relations and global studies with European and transatlantic affairs concentration and political science major
• Charlee Scruggs, a freshman biology major 
• Jada Voltz, a freshman social work major
• Reina Wantanabe, a junior environmental science and Spanish major
• Anthony Zaffater, a junior biology major

"Our student ambassadors are leaders on campus and continuously work toward helping everyone feel like they belong here and making sure they know about campus resources," West said. "I want to congratulate our newest cohort of student changemakers, and I am excited for them and the prospective college students they will be working with."

The Inclusive Excellence team also celebrated the recent spring 2024 graduation of past student ambassadors Isabel Han, Cambelle Harding, Gabrielle Norris, Yodalys Quiros and Jessica Soto.

"To the graduating ambassadors, your dedication, leadership and passion have been the guiding lights of our campus community," West said. "As you step into the wider world, I know you will carry with you the spirit of service and the determination to make a difference. Congratulations, ambassadors; your journey has just begun."