After playing an integral role in the creation of the Honors College, Chancellor emeritus G. David Gearhart and his wife, Jane, are continuing to expand opportunities for honors education with a $50,000 gift to the Honors College Path Program. The scholarship and mentorship program supports first-generation college students, as well as those with significant financial need or from less well-represented parts of the state. 

"The U of A should be very, very proud of the Honors College, and ensuring students have access to honors and higher education is extremely important in Arkansas," Gearhart said. "The Honors College has done fantastic work over the years and has proven to be vitally important for recruiting and attracting our brightest students in the state." 

Under Gearhart's leadership, the University of Arkansas received the largest gift in the history of American public higher education in 2002—a $300 million commitment from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. 

More than one-third of that gift was designated for the Honors College as an endowment to fund fellowships, study abroad and undergraduate research opportunities. 

The Honors College is appropriately housed in Gearhart Hall, named in honor of the former chancellor.  

"Chancellor Gearhart's role in creating the Honors College remains cornerstone here in Gearhart Hall. I think of the generosity of Jane and Dave each time I enter the Gothic-framed doorway," said Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. "Their gift to our Path Program spotlights a legacy of philanthropy focused on talented students in the state of Arkansas."  

The Path Program, launched in 2014 with another gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, has since grown to recruit high-achieving students from across Arkansas, providing both financial assistance and personalized guidance to help them thrive at the U of A with hopes of expanding access to not only higher education but an honors experience.

"The Path Program is providing total resources to students," Gearhart said, noting the unique combination of scholarships and high-impact support. "Providing not only financial assistance but also coaching and mentorship has been shown to boost retention and graduation rates."

Matthew Manuel, a Path Scholar and honors accounting major, recently completed an internship at EY, one of the "Big Four" accounting firms. He worked as an audit and tax launch intern in the firm's Dallas office and said the combination of the Path Program and Honors College accelerated his goals at the U of A.

"The Path Program removed my fear of accessing resources," said Manuel, who regularly visited the Honors College Futures Hub for career guidance and studied abroad in London with an Honors College Study Abroad Grant. "My academic and career progress was so much faster because of being both an honors student and a Path Scholar. It also gave me the confidence to show other students on campus that honors is accessible." 

Manuel plans to graduate with honors in three years and then pursue a master's in professional accounting, smiling as he shared that one day he hopes to endow a scholarship for the Path Program as well. 

To learn more about supporting the Path Program, visit: honors.uark.edu/giving/#path-program.

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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.