The state's largest university has selected 85 high school graduates to be freshmen Honors College fellows.
More than 80 percent of them are recent graduates of high schools in the state, and nearly 20 percent are the first in their family to attend college, according to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
The average GPA is 4.19 and the average composite ACT college entrance exam score is 34.06, according to Noah Pittman, assistant dean of the Honors College.
The Honors College Fellowship is worth up to $70,000 over four years to cover the costs of tuition; registration; books; room and board; original, high-level academic research; and studying abroad.
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.
Students must score at least a 32 on the ACT exam and have a minimum 3.8 grade point average in high school to apply. Honors College administrators and faculty review each student application for evidence of intellectual curiosity, leadership potential and community involvement. Applicants are given a writing test and, if they make it to the finalist stage, are interviewed on campus.
The Class of 2021 Honors College fellows, including their high schools and hometowns, are:
• Michael Achterberg, County Line High School, Cecil.
• Jessi Amason, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, Benton.
• Nathan Barker, Southside High School, Fort Smith.
• Stephanie Beitle, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Shiloh Bemis, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• William Blasingame, Liberty High School, Plano, Texas.
• Gianna Busch, Bishop Kelley High School, Tulsa.
• Caroline Campbell, Bryant High School, Benton.
• Davis Campbell, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Lynae Carlson, Olathe South High School, Olathe, Kan.
• Winson Chee, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• James Chesshir, Little Rock Christian Academy, Little Rock,
• Adam Coffman, Olathe North High School, Overland Park, Kan.
• Cara Coffman, George Ranch High School, Sugar Land, Texas.
• Brant Collins, Russellville High School, Russellville.
• Ethan Collins, Har-Ber High School, Springdale.
• Jeremy Collins, Russellville High School, Russellville.
• Caroline Crawford, Stratford High School, Houston, Texas.
• Sydney Darling, Bentonville High School, Centerton.
• Robert Davidson, Little Rock Central, Roland.
• Denver Eagar, Greenwood High School, Booneville.
• Amy Eggers, Maumelle High School, Maumelle.
• Avery Elliott, Cabot High School, Cabot.
• Karleigh Ferrell, Concord High School, Concord.
• Michael Fredricks, Cabot High School, Cabot.
• Tyler Gerth, Bartlesville High School, Bartlesville, Okla.
• Jared Gilliam, Cabot High School, Cabot.
• Heather Glenn, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Jackson Gregory, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, Hot Springs.
• Josephine Hall, Huntingtown High School, Prince Frederick, Md.
• Andrew He, Little Rock Central, Little Rock.
• Amy Hendricks, Glen Rose High School, Malvern.
• Kayla Ho, Van Buren High School, Van Buren.
• William Hoisington, Bentonville High School, Rogers.
• Hannah Hulbert, Haas Hall Academy, Siloam Springs.
• Jacob Huneycutt, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Rachael Koehler, Saxony Lutheran High School, Jackson, Mo.
• Sarah Komar, Park Hill South High School, Kansas City, Mo.
• Abigail Kotar, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kan.
• Lillian Larson, Bentonville High School, Bentonville.
• Grayson Lee, Rogers High School, Rogers.
• Ryan Leggitt, Greenbrier High School, Greenbrier.
• John Magness, Southside High School, Fort Smith.
• Huy Mai, Southside High School, Fort Smith.
• Kara Maurer, Bryant High School, Bryant.
• Malachi Maurice, Elkins High School, Fayetteville.
• Rachel McCann, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville,
• Jett McCullough, Salem High School, Salem.
• Timothy McMullen, Union High School, Tulsa.
• Katherine McTigrit, Star City High School, Star City.
• Jack Meullenet, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Justin Mitchell, Haas Hall Academy, Rogers.
• Carson Molder, Bryant High School, Mabelvale.
• Jesse Morrison, Little Rock Central, Roland.
• Taylor Mosley, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, Conway.
• Christopher Nosari, Mountain Home High School, Mountain Home.
• Sylvia Nupp, Russellville High School, Russellville.
• Meagan Olsen, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Olivia Overton, Pulaski Academy, Alexander.
• Gustavo Perez, Horatio High School, De Queen.
• Lawson Porter, Edward Marcus High School, Flower Mound, Texas.
• Jacob Purifoy, Ashdown High School, Ashdown.
• Samuel Raney, Catholic High School, Little Rock.
• Madeline Richards, Bentonville High School, Rogers.
• Emily Richey, Paris High School, Paris.
• Grant Robinson, Searcy High School, Searcy.
• Megan Rodgers, Siloam Springs High School, Siloam Springs.
• Clay Schuler, Episcopal Collegiate School, Little Rock.
• Shiva Shanmuganathan, Bentonville High School, Bentonville.
• John Shelnutt, Episcopal Collegiate School, Little Rock.
• Logan Siems, Little Rock Central, Scott.
• Landon Skouras, Brinkley High School, Brinkley.
• Aidan Smith, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Tyler Stamps, Rogers High School, Rogers.
• Carl Stevens, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville.
• Preston Stone, Benton High School, Benton.
• Sara Swank, Plano Senior High School, Plano, Texas.
• Brittany Tian, Little Rock Central, Little Rock.
• Hayden Townsend, Bentonville High School, Bentonville.
• Brandon Tran, Nettleton High School, Jonesboro.
• John Vogler, Russellville High School, Russellville.
• Daniel Voss, Rockwood Summit High School, Fenton, Mo.
• Brandon Ward, Bentonville High School, Centerton.
• Logan Watts, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, Little Rock.
• Ayman Yousef, Little Rock Central, Little Rock.
Metro on 07/03/2017