Honors College Welcomes 16 New Students for Path Program

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The Honors College at the University of Arkansas has selected 16 exceptional freshmen for the Path Program, which offers financial support and personalized guidance to students who are first-generation college students, have significant financial need or come from less-served areas of the state.

In addition to receiving scholarships, mentorship and academic advising, Path scholars live in Hotz Honors Hall and benefit from academic and study abroad opportunities.  

There are currently 82 Path scholars enrolled at the U of A. Over the past decade, scholars have made a lasting impact on campus, with alumni now working as physicians, earning international biomedical engineering fellowships, leading in the business world and teaching in Arkansas.

“We are excited to support the new cohort of Path scholars through their U of A journey,” said Xochitl Delgado Solorzano, assistant dean and director of the Path Program. “These outstanding students add a range of experiences and interests to the Path Program.”

HONORS COLLEGE PATH SCHOLARS, CLASS OF 2029

• Jalen Brooks, Little Rock, computer engineering
• Norma Gabriela Cruz, Paragould, biomedical engineering
• Armando Espinal, Rogers, psychology
• Daymond Franklin, Lexa, biology
• Avery Harville, Bossier City, Louisiana; undeclared/exploring – Bumpers College
• Aamori Johnson, Camden, biomedical engineering
• Natalie Miller, New Blaine, agricultural education, communication and technology
• Elizabeth Moreno, Rogers, nursing
• Valeria Rodriguez-Juarez, Rogers, architecture
• Adyson Shelton, Little Rock, international and global studies
• Wynter Smith, Hope, computer engineering
• Keyon Smith, Pine Bluff, electrical engineering
• Walker Stringfellow, Pine Bluff, architecture
• Angel Torres, Huntsville, biomedical engineering
• Melissa Valdez, Glenwood, undeclared/exploring – Fulbright College
• Brayden Wolfe, Searcy, music education

The 16 students will receive academic scholarships of up to $5,500, thanks to support from campus and community leaders. Earlier this year, Chancellor emeritus G. David Gearhart and Jane Gearhart generously donated $50,000 to help Path scholars thrive on campus and join the Honors College.

“Our Path recruitment pipeline, reaching into every corner of the state, is thriving due to the exceptional work of Dean Delgado Solorzano and her expert team,” said Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. “We are thrilled to welcome this 12th cohort of exceptional Path scholars to campus. I know that they, like their predecessors, will shake things up, intellectually speaking, and engage in multiple ways across the university and beyond. I would like to thank our generous donors to the Path Program, who make this pipeline possible.”

The Path Program was established with a $5.5 million endowment from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation and continues to grow through generous gifts from Lee and Beverly Bodenhamer, Carolyn and Nick Cole, Lynda Coon, Orville and Susan Hall, Bob and Linda McMath, Mike Pierce and Trish Starks, Jennie and Mike Popp, Charles and Reynelda Robinson, and the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. In 2024, Path alumni also raised funds for an additional scholarship in celebration of the program’s 10-year anniversary.

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 $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.