Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia has awarded the prestigious Foundation Fellowship to 22 incoming freshmen who exemplify the qualities of outstanding future leaders and scholars.
The Foundation Fellowships, UGA’s premier undergraduate scholarship, provide in-state students an annual stipend of $9,000 in addition to the HOPE Scholarship. Out-of-state students will receive $14,500 in annual scholarships and tuition waivers.
“The Foundation Fellowship is increasingly recognized as one of the top scholarship programs in the country, and these students will no doubt add to the prestige of the program,” said David S. Williams, director of UGA’s Honors Program. “They are all very impressive and we look forward to welcoming them to campus this fall.”
The award also includes opportunities to participate in international travel-study, research conferences, internships and public service projects. Previous students have used such opportunities to study, conduct research and do public service in China, England (Oxford), Germany, India, Peru, Tanzania, Thailand, and many other countries.
Each entering Fellow will receive individual attention and support from a senior faculty mentor and a current Foundation Fellow. During the academic year, Foundation Fellows participate in academic and cultural events such as dinner seminars in the homes of faculty and special meetings with distinguished visiting speakers.
Selection for the Foundation Fellowship is a highly coveted honor. The average SAT score for the class of 2011 is 1538. The average grade point average is 4.21 on a 4.0 scale, which indicates extra points for advanced placement courses. Their high school academic and extracurricular records are similarly remarkable.
The scholarship recipients are enrolled in UGA’s academically rigorous Honors Program, one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent. The Honors Program enables them to work closely with faculty in their respective majors and complete research projects that can turn into Honors theses, symposium presentations or publishable journal articles.
“We are fortunate to have been able to once again recruit some of the nation’s very best students to the University of Georgia,” said Steve Elliott-Gower, associate director of the Honors Program. “Using the opportunities available to them in the Honors and Foundation Fellows programs, these students will be able to develop a track record of academic achievements and experiences second to none.”
The Fellows were chosen from almost 1,000 applicants and 66 finalists who attended an intensive interview weekend on campus in February. The finalists participated in faculty-led seminars, social gatherings with current Fellows, and a round of interviews with senior faculty, foundation trustees, and admissions and student affairs staff.
The fellowships are renewable for an additional three years as long as the students maintain a cumulative 3.5 grade point average and are in good standing with the Honors Program.
The Foundation Fellows program was created in 1972 by the trustees of the University of Georgia Foundation to provide academically outstanding undergraduates with an enriched educational experience. The 22 new first-year students will bring the current number of Fellows to 86.
For more information on UGA’s Foundation Fellows program, visit http://www.uga.edu/honors/fellows.
The 2007 Foundation Fellows are:
From Georgia
Name, Hometown, High School, Parents
Bibb County
Tracy Yang, Macon, Westside High School, Nai-Chuang & Cho Jinn Yang
Bryan County
Alex Squires, Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill High School, David & Debbie Squires
Bullock County
John Marshall, Statesboro, Statesboro High School, Tom & Vicky Marshall
Clarke County
Lucy Fu, Athens, Athens Academy, Zhengging & Mei Fu
Trey Sinyard, Athens, Athens Academy, Robert & Leslie Sinyard
Sheena Zhang, Athens, Cedar Shoals High School, Qing Zhang & Qian Fang
Cobb County
Inaam Inaamullah, Marietta, McEachern High School, Mir Atiqullah & Rezina Aktar
Phillip Mote, Marietta, Lassiter High School, Jonathan & Susan Mote
Claire Underwood, Marietta, Kennesaw Mountain High School, Rudy & Carol Underwood
DeKalb County
Stephanie Chapman, Decatur, Chamblee Charter High School, Joe & Susie Chapman
Katie Cuadrado, Atlanta, Marist School, Angel & Kathy Cuadrado
Fulton County
Geales Goodwin, Alpharetta, Northview High School, Sara Goodwin & Scott Goodwin
Rachel Pocock, Atlanta, Pace Academy, Tom Pocock & Nina Radakovich
Bobby Rosenbleeth, Sandy Springs, Woodward Academy, Michael & Susan Rosenbleeth
Gwinnett County
Calley Mersmann, Snellville, South Gwinnett High School, Tim & Suzi Mersmann
White County
Phoeny Li, Cleveland, White County High School, Zhirui Li & Xiufeng Zhu
From Out-of-State
Name Hometown High School Parents
Kelsey Ditto, Austin, Texas, Westlake High School ,Steve & Betsy Ditto
Ryan Friday Austin, Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson High School, David & Kate Friday
Anne Karam, Baton Rouge, La., St. Joseph’s Academy ,George & Mary Karam
Matthew Levenson, Wantagh, N.Y., Wantagh High School, Bill & Bonny Levenson
Aaron Marshburn, Davidson, N.C., North Mecklenburg High School, Paul & Nancy Marshburn
Sabrina Ragaller, Henderson, Nev., Coronado High School, Rick & Sonja Ragaller