JONESBORO — Thirty-five freshmen have been awarded Arkansas State University's most prestigious academic honor, the A-State Scholar scholarship, which offers recipients $18,000 annually. The students, part of the A-State Honors College, represent a diverse range of academic interests and accomplishments.
This year's recipients hail from five states and include multiple high school valedictorians and salutatorians. To qualify for the A-State Scholar program, students must graduate high school with an ACT superscore of at least 31 or a 1400 SAT score, along with a minimum 3.5 GPA. Maintaining the scholarship requires a 3.5 GPA throughout college.
The recipients include:
- **Bentonville**: Everly O’Daniel, exercise science, Bentonville High School - **Jonesboro**: Mia Caang, biological sciences, Valley View High School; Cooper Caldwell, exercise science, Jonesboro High School; Cole Chadwick, exercise science, Valley View High School; William Crader, exploratory studies, Valley View High School; Cesar Montana, music, Nettleton High School; Hazim Ragab, biological sciences, Valley View High School; William Spencer, mechanical engineering, Ridgefield Christian High School; Raegan Smith, biological sciences, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts; Catherine Thompson, communication disorders, homeschool - **West Memphis**: Bryant Pollard, civil engineering, West Memphis Christian School - **Wynne**: Cole Westbrook, construction management, Wynne High School - **Greenbrier**: Isaac Theis, graphic design, Greenbrier High School - **Salem**: John Wilson, mechanical engineering, Salem High School - **Hot Springs**: Hadassah Heard, chemistry, Lake Hamilton High School; Alayna Kincannon, elementary education, Lake Hamilton High School; Taylor Mitchell, political science, Lake Hamilton High School - **Sheridan**: Jackson Lazenby, psychology, Sheridan High School - **Melbourne**: Jonas Gschwandegger, digital technology and design, Melbourne High School; Silas Gschwandegger, mechanical engineering, Melbourne High School - **Walnut Ridge**: Jaxton Brady, chemistry, Walnut Ridge High School - **Austin**: Kinkaid Dill, biotechnology, Cabot High School - **Little Rock**: Carter Faulkner, accounting, Little Rock Christian Academy - **Sherwood**: Tyler Jackson, business administration, Catholic High School for Boys; Jordyn Lane, psychology, Mount St. Mary’s Academy - **Maumelle**: Ayden Pittman, computer science, Maumelle Charter High School - **Pocahontas**: Aubrey Difani, biological sciences, Pocahontas High School - **Benton**: Reece Pennington, animal science, Benton High School - **Farmington**: Kai Gardiner, civil engineering, Farmington High School - **Lincoln**: Myah Bowman, mathematics, Lincoln Community High School - **Saltillo**: Cassidy Wilkins, radiologic sciences, Tupelo Christian Preparatory School
Out-of-state recipients include Rowan Glass, biological sciences, Jackson High School (Missouri); Jaycelyn Wright, agriculture, Thayer R-2 Jr-Sr High School (Missouri); and Ethan Powell, electrical engineering, Dyer County High School (Tennessee).
University officials noted that the A-State Scholar program emphasizes academic excellence and aims to attract top-performing students. The scholarship covers tuition, fees, and other academic costs, providing recipients with critical support as they begin their collegiate journey.