25 incoming UALR freshmen earn honor

Twenty-five incoming freshmen at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have been named Donaghey Scholars.

The scholarship program is UALR’s honors program.

Students have the opportunity to attend some small, seminar-style classes, develop bonds with other academically gifted students and faculty, and study abroad. The core classes — which are team-taught by faculty across different academic disciplines — emphasize close reading of primary texts, vigorous discussion and extensive writing.

Donaghey Scholars receive a financial package totaling between $75,000-$95,000: full tuition and fees; a stipend of $6,000, $8,000, or $10,000 per year, dependent upon qualifications; an on-campus housing subsidy; financial assistance to study abroad; and a new laptop computer.

There are no standardized minimum requirements to be considered for the Donaghey Scholars program. But applicants go through a rigorous process, including interviews, and they must have a strong high school academic record. The median ACT college-entrance exam score is 30, and the median high school gradepoint average is 3.9.

At least 71 percent of Donaghey Scholars have gone on to earn at least one graduate degree, more than double the rate for Arkansans with undergraduate degrees. More than 25 percent have completed medical school, law school, or hold a Ph.D.

The entering class of students, their hometown, high school and major:

Emma Chambers, Little Rock, Pulaski Academy, studio art.

Alondra Cruz, Little Rock, Mills University Studies High School, business.

Olivia Fitzgibbon, Little Rock, eStem High School, public relations.

Lucca Garcia, Sheridan, Catholic High School, nursing.

Sadie Goss, El Dorado, Parkers Chapel High School, criminal justice and biology.

Mohib Hafeez, Little Rock, Lisa Academy West, biology and chemistry/pre-med.

LaTambria Hampton, Jonesboro, Academies at Jonesboro High School, biology and chemistry/pre-med.

Jordan Hancock, Benton, Benton High School, art history.

Meagan Herbold, Mabelvale, Bryant High School, physics and mathematics.

Khristina Huff, Cleveland in northern Conway County, Clinton High School, biology and chemistry/pre-med.

Sabah Ismail, Fort Smith, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, political science.

Nicholas Jaeger, Leslie, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, computer science.

Savannah James, North Little Rock, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, political science.

Amelia Jilek Alexander, Bryant High School, philosophy/pre-law.

Greyson Kauffman, Cabot, Cabot High School, criminal justice and psychology.

Sam Koon, Little Rock, Little Rock Central High School, English/pre-law.

Sydney Kornelsen, Fallbrook, Calif., Escondido Charter High School, chemistry.

Hannah Krehbiel Fort Smith, Northside High School, anthropology and chemistry.

Cecily Mobley, Fouke, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, systems engineering.

Karson Oakes, Paragould, Paragould Senior High School, computer science.

Gage Pipkin, Jonesboro, Westside High School, theatre.

Philip Plouch Little Rock, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, computer science.

Gabrielle Roberts, Jonesboro, Academies at Jonesboro High School, biology/pre-veterinary medicine.

Aleigha Smith Ward, Cabot High School, accounting.

Ruby Trotter, Houston, Texas, Jersey Village High School, biology and chemistry/pre-med.