The U of A Honors College has selected 100 exceptional high school students, including 91 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 million in study abroad and research grants that the Honors College awards to students each year.

“The Honors College continues to have an incredibly competitive pool for our fellowship program each year,” said Noah Pittman, associate dean of enrollment for the Honors College. “This year alone, we reviewed almost 900 applications for endowed fellowships. Our 100 new Honors College fellows are stunningly 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 4.28 and an average composite ACT score of 34. Also, 15 percent of the students are the first in their families to attend college. 

The members of this distinguished class plan to study a diverse range of subjects, from studio art and history to civil engineering, environmental science and architecture.

Many have achieved notable recognition. Within this group of new fellows, 27 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 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 2025 recipients, a total of 1,876 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 the California Institute of Technology, Cambridge University, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Georgetown Law School, Harvard Law School and Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, Tufts University School of Medicine, the University of Chicago Medical School, and the University of Virginia.

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 2029

• Kennedi Acklin – eStem High Public Charter School, North Little Rock
• Charlize Adamos – Harrison High School, Harrison
• Rehan Ah – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Ryan Ah – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Maya Allen – Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Harrison
• Seth Antuna – Bentonville West High School, Bentonville
• Amelia Armstrong – Austin High School, Austin, Texas
• Tristan Banks – Haas Hall Academy-Rogers, Rogers
• Vincent Baxley – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville
• Theodore Benson – North Little Rock High School, Little Rock
• Lillian Blumenberg – Farmington High School, Fayetteville
• Jack Bowles – Morrilton High School, Morrilton
• Pearlyn Britto – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Lasya Buddha – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
• Madison Bussell – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville
• Zane Caldwell – Cabot High School, Cabot
• Rithwik Chittem Setty – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
• Charan Chitturi – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Ava Clagett – Conway High School, Conway
• Layton Cordell – Lakeside High School, Hot Springs National Park
• Ethan David – Cabot High School, Cabot
• Riley Davis – Charleston High School, Charleston
• Dylan Dedman – Rison High School, Rison
• Wyatt Dodson – Pea Ridge High School, Pea Ridge
• Chandler Doyle – Haas Hall Academy-Bentonville, Springdale
• Zach Ellis - Catholic High School, Maumelle
• Victor Espinoza Romero – Rogers New Technology High School, Rogers
• Maricka Farr – Bryant High School, Bryant
• Xander Ford-Wutzke – Rogers High School, Rogers
• Owen Garrett – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Timothy Garrison – Home School, Conway
• Talia Gashler – Springdale Har-Ber High School, Springdale
• Kolten Grant – Farmington High School, Prairie Grove
• Logan Greggs – Russellville High School, Russellville
• Ally Hamaker – Little Rock Christian Academy, Little Rock
• Mattie Henry – Little Rock Christian Academy, Little Rock
• Henry Jones – Oxford High School, Oxford, Mississippi
• Natalie Jordan – Greene County Tech High School, Paragould
• Kartik Joshi – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
• KC Joyner – Rogers Heritage High School, Rogers
• Olivia Keisling – Saint Joseph School, Morrilton
• Jackson Kidd – Greene County Tech High School, Paragould
• Hudson Kincade – Cabot High School, Cabot
• Brendan Klaus – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville
• Maddie Kochman – Blue Springs South High School, Lees Summit, Missouri
• Ryan Krown – Cabot High School, Ward
• Gavin Lawrence – Glen Rose High School, Little Rock
• Kade Lewallen – Benton High School, Benton
• Carmella Lewis – Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Alma
• Shamaya Liyanage – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville
• Caleb Lopez – Benton High School, Benton
• Leah Marvin – Springdale Har-Ber High School, Tontitown
• Matthew McDonald – Houston High School, Germantown, Tennessee
• Caden Meadows – El Dorado High School, El Dorado
• Alina Mehal – Haas Hall Academy, Fayetteville
• Lydia Merriman – Bentonville West High School, Bentonville
• Abdurrahman Muhammad – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Anishka Nagarimadugu – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Deven Nguyen – Rogers High School, Rogers
• Noah Orsini – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
• Jalia Osborne – Haas Hall Academy, Springdale
• Ronak Pai – Bentonville West High School, Bentonville
• Fiona Pearce – Rogers Heritage High School, Bentonville
• Carsyn Pfitzner – Batesville High School Charter, Batesville
• Max Polk – Conway High School, Conway
• Addi Price – Benton High School, Benton
• Isaiah Pulliam – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville
• Madelyn Pyle – Haughton High School, Doyline, Louisiana
• Riley Raymick – Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Sheridan
• Luke Rice – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Jeffrey Robinson – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
• Siya Rohant – Bryant High School, Benton
• Saylor Ross – Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, Crossett
• Jack Seabolt – Rogers High School, Rogers
• Tooba Sehr – Southside High School, Fort Smith
• John Serio – Ruston High School, Ruston, Louisiana
• Isaac Shilling – Olathe West High School, Olathe, Kansas
• Elle Shipman – Joe T. Robinson High School, Little Rock
• Sarah Shoptaw – Russellville High School, Russellville
• Reese Smith – Haas Hall Academy-Bentonville, Springdale
• Riley Smith – Haas Hall Academy-Bentonville, Springdale
• Kohen Sprague – Vilonia High School, Conway
• Kevin Sun – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville
• Jonathan Sykes – Dardanelle High School, Dardanelle
• Wyatt Taylor – Bryant High School, Benton
• Shubharashi Thapa – Bentonville High School, Bentonville
• Gabby Thibeault – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
• Ally Thomas – Greenwood High School, Greenwood
• Dhruvika Thota – Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock
• Aiden Ton-That – Frisco High School, Frisco, Texas
• Emma Ward – Lake Hamilton High School, Royal
• Greta Whitt – Knoxville Catholic High School, Knoxville, Tennessee
• Nate Whittington – Van Buren High School, Van Buren
• Avery Williams – Sheridan High School, Benton
• Hadley Williams – Providence Academy, Rogers
• Brianna Wilson – Greenwood High School, Greenwood
• Silas Wilson – Springdale Har-Ber High School, Tontitown
• Tony Wleklinski – Siloam Springs High School, Siloam Springs
• Keynes Wright – Bentonville West High School, Centerton
• Jack Zeuthen – Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville

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 $3 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.

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 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.