The University of Arkansas recently awarded 11 high school graduates from Northwest Arkansas with Honors College Fellowships. The $70,000 fellowships largely cover tuition and fees, books, room and board for four years. High school seniors must score at least 32 on the ACT exam and have a 3.8 grade-point average to apply, and Honors College administrators review applications for evidence of intellectual curiosity, leadership potential and community involvement. The selection process also involves a writing test and campus interview for finalists in early March.
The Honors College Fellowships are made possible by a portion of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation's $300 million gift to the university in 2002.
This year's local Honors College Fellows are:
•Carson Oldham, a graduate of Bentonville High School. He is the son of April and Edward Oldham.
•Kira Simonson, a graduate of Bentonville High School. She is the daughter of Dolores and Randy Simonson.
•Savannah King, a graduate of Bentonville High School. She is the daughter of Vanessa and Barry King.
•Jared Gary of Elm Springs, a graduate of Har-Ber High School in Springdale. He is the son of Debbie and Robert Gary.
•Cannon Kern, a graduate of Fayetteville High School. He is the son of Deb and Jack Kern.
•Faith Schrader of Fayetteville, a graduate of Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville. She is the daughter of Steven Schrader.
•Lucy Woodbury, a graduate of Fayetteville High School. She is the daughter of Anne and Warren Woodbury.
•Tyler Bishop, a graduate of Fayetteville High School. He is the son of Stephanie and Tony Bishop.
•Abigail Thurstenson, a graduate of Siloam Springs High School. She is the daughter of Sarah and Chris Thurstenson.
•Garrett Story, a graduate of Springdale High School. He is the son of Shawn Cook.
•Luis Rodriguez, a graduate of Har-Ber High School in Springdale. He is the son of Lorena Aguilar.
This year's class of Honors College Fellows achieved an average high school grade-point average of 4.18 and ACT score average of nearly 34, placing them in the 99th percentile nationwide. This class includes 24 National Merit Scholars.
The Honors College Fellowships are made possible by a portion of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation's $300 million gift to the university in 2002.
Bodenhamer FellowshipS
In addition, the UA Honors College selected six incoming freshmen to receive the university's Bodenhamer Fellowship -- one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships the university offers. The fellowship awards $70,000 in financial support and cultivates a strong sense of community among current and alumni fellows. In addition to covering the normal cost of attending the university, the fellowship may be used for study abroad, attendance at professional and educational conferences, research and special equipment a fellow might need.
Students must score 32 on the ACT and have a 3.8 high school grade-point average to be eligible to apply. Extracurricular activities, community service and evidence of intellectual curiosity and creativity also are considered in the selection process.
Local honorees are:
•Veronica Hader, a graduate of Bentonville High School, where she excelled in a wide variety of scholastic endeavors -- from serving as head poetry editor for her school's literary magazine, to placing first in ACE Team Shakespeare Expert for three years. Hader also volunteered her time with Children's Creative Workshop, a program in which students from third to sixth grades learn about art and creative writing.
She was named a National Merit Finalist and is learning ballroom dancing in her spare time. Hader will study mathematics at the university, with the goal of teaching math and extending her own curiosity to others. She is the daughter of Katarzyna and Peter Hader.
•Srusti Maddala, a graduate of Har-Ber High School in Springdale, believes farmers don't get the esteem they deserve. This National Merit Finalist wants to become an agricultural biochemist to research and improve the world with sustainable farming practices.
Maddala was a member of Health Occupational Students of America, president of opening and closing ceremonies for her chapter's Future Farmers of America and a trumpet player in the school's concert and marching bands. She also spent time as her volleyball team's libero -- one of the toughest defensive positions in the game -- and helped develop a chemically activated cold pack for sports injuries at a chemistry boot camp. She is the daughter of Lalitha and Ram Maddala.
The Bodenhamer Foundation, acting through its trustee Lee Bodenhamer (B.S.B.A. 1957, M.B.A. 1961) established the Bodenhamer Fellowships at the university in 1998.
The new Bodenhamer students will join a group of 126 fellows who have benefited from the generous support of the Bodenhamer family. Alumni fellows are excelling in a wide range of career paths, from producing videos for National Geographic to improving global health care. Many are pursuing advanced degrees at universities such as Harvard, Yale and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
NAN Our Town on 07/28/2016