UCA names Honors Scholars

The University of Central Arkansas Honors College has selected 76 incoming first-year students as its newest class of Norbert O. Schedler Honors College Scholars and 31 incoming first-year students for its University Scholars Program. 

The entering Schedler Honors College Scholars and University Scholars classes of 2020 have an average high school GPA above 4.0 and an average ACT score of 30. The Honors College class includes 102 students from Arkansas and five students from out-of-state. A quarter of the incoming cohorts are first-generation college students. 

All members of the incoming honors class were selected using a holistic admissions process that factors in the applicant’s academic performance, writing ability, and service and leadership potential. The process, which requires written essays, letters of recommendation and participation in a daylong orientation and interview for Schedler Honors College applicants, has held up within the national collegiate honors community as one of the most thorough admissions processes in the nation.  

Acceptance into the Schedler Honors College comes with access to UCA’s top scholarship, access to a living/learning community in Jefferson W. Farris Honors Hall and participation in a unique interdisciplinary curriculum with ample opportunities for service learning, project-based education, collaborative work, undergraduate research, travel abroad opportunities and internship support. Students in the Schedler Honors College average approximately 1,000 cumulative hours of community service annually. Honors Scholars participate in a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that focuses on the individual growth and transformation of each student while preparing them to be leaders in their chosen fields. 

Established in 1982 by Norbert O. Schedler, under the leadership of then-President Jefferson Farris Jr., the Schedler Honors College at UCA has become one of the most full-featured in the nation and is a leader in providing enhanced educational opportunities in a living/learning environment designed to develop students as citizen-scholars.

Now in its third year, the University Scholars Program is a four-year honors program that operates alongside the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College. Acceptance into the University Scholars Program comes with an academic stipend and access to a living-learning community in Jefferson W. Farris Honors Hall. Students in the University Scholars Program have opportunities to participate in service-learning projects, leadership training and undergraduate research, with the goal of developing them as socially responsible leaders within their chosen field. The program was started in 2018 under the leadership of Honors College Dean Patricia Smith and UCA President Houston Davis.

The names and hometowns of each Honors College student:

SCHEDLER HONORS SCHOLARS

SethAlexanderSheridanARSheridan High School
EshaAliLittle RockARLittle Rock Central High School
MeredithAtchleyFort SmithARNorthside High School
JamesBarnettBentonvilleARBentonville High School
AlexisBenavidezRogersARRogers New Technology High School
OliviaBirdNorth Little RockARNorth Little Rock High School
LandonBirdBradfordARBald Knob Public Schools
JakeBridgersConwayARConway High School
EmilyBrigglerConwayARSt. Joseph High School
AshleyBrinkFayettevilleARElkins High School
JacobiBrownMabelvaleARLittle Rock Central High School
JoslynBruengerConwayARConway High School
SarahBryantVan BurenARVan Buren High School
BradleyBuliceCabotARCabot High School
KyraButlerConwayARConway High School
ClaudiaCarterMountain HomeARMountain Home High School
LillianClarkConwayARConway High School 
CarraigCraunConwayARConway High School
CarolineCravensFort SmithARNorthside High School
MarshallCunninghamConwayARConway Christian High School
SydneyCyrBentonARBenton High School
GriffinDeitrickConwayARConway High School
AdamDuvallWynneARWynne High School
SarahDuvallAtkinsARSacred Heart Catholic School
TierneyEarnestBentonARArkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts
MadisonEstevesHot Springs VillageARArkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts
MaryGallowayPensacolaFLPensacola Catholic High School
JohnGardnerMelbourneARMelbourne High School
KayleeGarrettPocolaOKPocola High School
ErinGeorgeJonesboroARNettleton High School
MakennaGossMenaARAcorn High School
MollyHarrellMaumelleARLittle Rock Central High School
MaryamHayyawiLittle RockARLISA Academy West High
MeganHillWynneARWynne High School
JacobHollingerSheridanARSheridan High School
CarolineHortonLonokeARLonoke High School
AbigaleHouchinsLowellARArkansas Arts Academy
MadilynHuffordLittle RockARArkansas Virtual Academy
EricaHurstLake CityARBuffalo Island Central High School
KristinaJonesConwayARHomeschooled
EmilyKennardRussellvilleARRussellville High School
AustinKnudsenPlumervilleARMorrilton High School
MendelLagasseLittle RockARArkansas Virtual Academy
WyattLawrenceConwayARConway Christian High School
JanieLeeBentonARBenton High School
DakotaLeslieBentonARBenton High School
RodrigoMcCarthy-GalvanConwayARConway High School
AlexMeltonBentonARBryant High School
SydneyNelsonParagouldARGreene County Tech High School
JoshuaNunnFarmingtonARFarmington High School
SaidaOrdazLittle RockARLittle Rock Central High School
ArdleyPachecoRogersARRogers Heritage High School
ShelbyPedersonLittle RockARLittle Rock Central High School
YeseniaPerezFort SmithARSouthside High School
CharliePierceGassvilleARMountain Home High School
AllysiaRaineyConwayARConway High School
AnacarenRamosHot SpringsARLake Hamilton High School
AlanRathmannConwayARConway High School
BrooklynRayFort SmithARNorthside High School
FrancescaReddittConwayARConway High School
HayleeRhoadesDelawareARDardanelle High School
AnnaSamonsLittle RockARBaptist Prep
EmilySchickLittle RockARParkview Arts/Science Magnet High School
CharisShureFort SmithARUnion Christian Academy
HannahSpeerCharlestonSCHome School
AnnaStyersHot SpringsARLake Hamilton High School
RyanTanejaBentonARBenton High School
DianneTrujilloLowellARRogers New Technology High School
StetsonVan MatreFort SmithARNorthside High School
BaileyVoBentonvilleARBentonville West High School
CarlieWattigneyMonetteARBuffalo Island Central High School
MaryWattsFort SmithARSouthside High School
LilyWilsonDyersburgTNDyer County High School
ZoeWinfreyLowellARSpringdale High School
LandenZieglerMemphisTNArlington High School
TaylorZimmermanHattievilleARWonderview High School





UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS

MadisonAllenMaumelleARMaumelle High School
LondonBlackwellAlmaARAlma High School
SkylarBrooksBella VistaARRogers Heritage High School
NicholasBrormanConwayARSaint Joseph School
AshlynChambersDe QueenARDe Queen High School
VincentClimerNorth Little RockARNorth Little Rock High School
JordanCormierFort SmithARSouthside High School
KamiCurtisNorth Little RockARNorth Little Rock High School
ReganDisheroonBella VistaARBentonville High School
EmmaDunlapConwayARConway High School
AbbieFlakeConwayARSt. Joseph High School
MadelineFrazierBentonARBenton High School
EmmaJacksonLittle RockARLittle Rock Central High School
DavidLandersBentonARBenton High School
DonavonMillingtonBentonvilleARBentonville West High School
MichaelMoretonHuntingtonARGreenwood High School
LexieMosbyFort SmithARNorthside High School
HalleMountsDierksARDierks High School
JacobOlsonHensleyARSheridan High School
TakahitoOrrSherwoodARSylvan Hills High School
Jed EfrenPanedaLittle RockARLISA Academy
LakynPhillipsNLRARMayflower High School
ElizabethPopeGreenwoodARGreenwood High School
CadeRichesinVan BurenARVan Buren High School
GavinRileyCabotARCabot High School
MadisonRoyLittle RockARHome School
MaKaylaRussellStampsARLafayette County High school
AuburnScrogginsLonsdaleARBenton High School
MeyahStovesandCarlisleARCarlisle High School
AnnaWeisenbachPocahontasARPocahontas High School
HaydenWoodFloralARMidland High School