Stamps Scholars

07/25/2025

This summer, nine Stamps Scholars from seven partner institutions took part in a one-of-a-kind leadership expedition through the breathtaking landscapes of Norway. On June 30, Graciela Best (Illinois ‘27), Cordelia Ellsworth (Arizona ‘28), Margaret Meehan (Air Force ‘25), Adele Miller (Illinois ‘26), Addy Mitchell (Pittsburgh ‘28), Claire Schleck (West Point ‘27), Jackson Scrimpshire (Tulane ‘27), Safiya Tarazi (Arizona ‘28), and Elodie Wardle (Wake Forest ‘26), set off to “find themselves in Norway.” The immersive, multi-day backpacking experience challenged students physically, intellectually, and emotionally, combining outdoor adventure with deep leadership development, self-reflection, and team-based growth.

Designed in partnership with outdoor educator and leadership expert Jeannette Stawski, the program brought students from across the country together to explore glaciers, fjords, and their own identities and leadership styles. The result was a journey that pushed students outside their comfort zones and into profound connection with nature, themselves, and one another.

“This trip was truly life-changing and unforgettable,” shared Tarazi (Arizona ‘28). “We shared the most meaningful experience together, and you can’t trade that for anything. You can’t find that anywhere else.”

Read more here: https://www.stampsscholars.org/2025/07/25/find-yourself-in-norway-stamps-scholars-reflect-on-a-transformative-journey/

06/13/2025

The Stamps Scholars Program announces its 20th class of Stamps Scholars, welcoming 398 exceptional students from 34 esteemed partner institutions across the United States in 2025. This milestone class marks two decades of championing future leaders, empowering them to pursue their goals and make lasting impacts in communities around the world.

Chosen from a highly competitive pool of 527,824 applicants, the 2025 Stamps Scholars represent the next generation of change-makers. They are united by a shared passion for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, along with an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service.

Read more here: https://www.stampsscholars.org/2025/06/13/stamps-scholars-program-welcomes-20th-class-celebrating-two-decades-of-impact-and-excellence/

04/21/2025

We are thrilled to announce that five Stamps Scholars have been named 2025 Truman Scholars—the most ever selected from our program in a single year! Congratulations to Samantha Podnar (University of Pittsburgh), Veronica Richmond (University of Miami), Mark Tang (United States Air Force Academy), Brandon Tran (United States Military Academy), and Yasmine Ware (University of Mississippi). This milestone is a testament to your leadership, passion for public service, and commitment to making a difference.

Widely regarded as the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States, the Truman Scholarship provides funding for graduate study, robust leadership training, career development support, and access to exclusive federal internship and fellowship opportunities. This year, the Truman Foundation reviewed 743 applications from 288 institutions. Of those, 54 exceptional students from 49 institutions were selected based on their outstanding academic records, demonstrated leadership, and dedication to public service.

To our newest Truman Scholars: we are incredibly proud of you, and we look forward to seeing the impact you will continue to make in the world.

03/05/2025

Tonight at 6:30 PM ET, tune in to YouTube for a livestream of the All-Stamps Ensemble at UMiami's Frost School of Music! Hear performances from the Stamps String Quartet, Jazz Quintet, Brass Quintet, and Woodwind Quintet.

01/16/2025

Congratulations to University of Chicago Stamps Scholar Emily Shi, recipient of a 2025-2026 Schwarzman Scholarship!

Emily is among 200 exceptional individuals selected annually for the prestigious Schwarzman Scholars program, which offers a one-year master’s in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing. This scholarship brings together emerging leaders from the U.S., China, and around the world to foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.

At UChicago, Emily double-majors in biology (with a focus on cancer biology) and public policy. Her Stamps Scholarship has been instrumental in supporting her research in Dr. Marsha Rosner’s laboratory, where she investigates therapies for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer—an aggressive form of the disease that disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Emily’s research specifically explores how cancer cells evade immune recognition and metastasize, enabling the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.

Through her work and the opportunities provided by the Stamps Scholarship, Emily has developed a deep commitment to global health equity. With the support of the Schwarzman Scholarship, she aims to build cross-cultural bridges between the U.S. and China, fostering collaboration in research and innovation that can drive progress in global health.

We are incredibly proud of Emily’s achievements and excited to see how she will continue to make an impact in the field of global health.

01/14/2025

The Stamps Scholars Program is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with North Carolina State University, a renowned institution known for its leadership in education and research. In the fall of 2025, 10 outstanding NC State students will join our community as Stamps Scholars and Park Scholars, with their scholarships jointly supported by Stamps and NC State. We look forward to welcoming these exceptional students into our growing network!

“I’ve been aware of the Park Scholarships program since it was created. Its talented and dedicated staff over the years have developed it into a positive force for NC State," said Randy McDow, executive director of the Stamps Scholars Program. "Their comprehensive and strategic efforts to attract and enroll outstanding students have led Park to be one of the premier scholarship programs in the country." Read more about this partnership in the press release below.

Featured in this photo: Stamps Scholars Program Executive Director Randy McDow (left) and Park Scholarships Director Eva Feucht (right) at an NC State alumni gathering, held at the Coca-Cola World Headquarters in Atlanta, GA.

https://news.giving.ncsu.edu/2025/01/gifts-to-park-scholarships-to-be-matched-in-partnership-with-stamps-scholars-program/

12/16/2024

Congratulations to our three 2025 Marshall Scholarship winners, Ole Miss’ Christian Boudreaux, U.S. Air Force Academy’s Margaret Meehan, and Georgia Tech’s James Shin! Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to fifty Scholars are selected each year to study at the graduate level at a UK institution in any field of study. After graduation, Christian plans to attend the University of Edinburgh, studying Marine Systems and Policies in his first year, and Evolutionary Genetics in his second year. Margaret looks forward to commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force and attending pilot training. James plans to pursue an MPhil in Physics at the University of Cambridge followed by a master’s in public policy at the University of Oxford. We could not be more proud of these students!

11/19/2024

Please join us in celebrating United States Military Academy Stamps Scholar Sarah Cao, who won a Rhodes Scholarship for 2025! Sarah studies international affairs and Chinese at West Point. She interned for the Center for Naval Analyses and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, where she prepared daily briefings for the Pentagon. At West Point, she served as second in command of over 1,600 cadets, and won the ‘Master of the Sword’ award as the top-ranked female cadet in physical fitness. Sarah is a first-generation American and the first in her family to serve in the military. She is also a talented jumper on the diving board and out of airplanes, diving on West Point’s Division One team and winning the national championship in collegiate skydiving two years in a row. At Oxford, she intends to pursue an M.Sc. in global governance and diplomacy and M.Sc. in contemporary Chinese studies. Congratulations, Sarah!

The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full time, postgraduate award which enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world. Each year 32 young students from the United States are selected as Rhodes Scholars, through a decentralized process representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories.

10/22/2024

At 21 years old, fourth-year University of Notre Dame Stamps Scholar Luke Horwath still plays with LEGOs – but unlike most casual LEGO players, Luke’s custom creations win awards.

“I’ve always been a creative person,” Luke says, reflecting on the roots of his interest in custom LEGO builds. “I’m very curious about the way things work.” Luke received his first LEGO set at just five years old and, like many children, he was captivated by the joy of building something he could bring to life through play.

However, his passion for LEGOs truly ignited in 7th grade after a sports-related ankle injury left him sidelined. With extra time at home, his mother suggested he tap into his creativity by building something from their large bucket of basic LEGO bricks. What started as a simple LEGO beach soon evolved into a sprawling 63-square-foot custom LEGO city that filled an entire room of their house. This moment marked a pivotal point in Luke’s LEGO journey, when he realized that he could use the bricks to create imaginative, complex custom designs.

When he was 15, Luke built the world’s first life-sized, fully operational LEGO pinball machine. To perfect the mechanics, he first designed a 10-by-10-inch prototype, then visited real arcades to take measurements for the final build. The result was a fully functioning machine that fused three of Luke’s passions: LEGO, pinball, and Batman, with the design inspired by his love for the Batman movies. “The George Clooney era is one of my favorites,” he says. In 2019, the pinball machine earned him the “Best Replica” award at Brickworld Chicago, the largest LEGO convention in the United States.

Read more about LEGO Luke via the link below!

https://www.stampsscholars.org/2024/10/22/lego-luke-building-a-more-playful-future-one-brick-at-a-time/

10/07/2024

The Stamps Scholars Program is thrilled to re-establish its partnership with Morehouse College, a distinguished institution known for cultivating leaders who make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond. We are proud to welcome four exceptional first-year students into the 2024 class of Stamps Scholars: Spencer S. Chancellor, Donovan Correll, Caleb Kaalund, and Alexander X. Osborne. Looking ahead, we anticipate awarding at least five Stamps Scholarships to incoming Morehouse students each year.

To learn more about our partnership, please refer to the press release below.

https://news.morehouse.edu/stamps-scholars-program?fbclid=IwY2xjawFxFdtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHU2iIUSwSL5kkzN9IudA7o4rr4igkcewrvEdw3WMPgMDg6-Z7KA75s5YfQ_aem_VWzmUVOYfMQHOPIIa1Z4vw

07/17/2024

Congratulations to our 2024 Astronaut Scholars, LSU’s Tiernan Dautle, Air Force Academy’s Jane Santamore, Purdue’s Shelby Sliger, Air Force Academy’s Luca Valenti, and West Point’s Zoe Winston!

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF)’s mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in technology and innovation by supporting the very best and brightest scholars in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while commemorating the legacy of America’s pioneering astronauts.

This year, ASF awarded 71 scholarships to students from 48 different universities across the nation. Astronaut Scholarships are awarded to students in their junior and senior year of college studying science, technology, engineering, or mathematics with the intent to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degree. Astronaut Scholars are among the best and brightest minds in STEM who show initiative, creativity, and excellence in their chosen field.

06/26/2024

The Stamps Scholars Program announces its 19th class of Stamps Scholars, comprising of 365 exemplary students from 37 esteemed partner institutions across the United States and into the United Kingdom. Chosen from a highly competitive pool of nearly 509,000 applicants, these Scholars embody a commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service.

This year’s cohort of Stamps Scholars is diverse, hailing from 39 U.S. states, 2 U.S. territories, and 13 countries, and representing a wide array of backgrounds and ambitions. Although young, many have already made significant positive impacts on their communities and have professional goals such as alleviating disparities in healthcare access, ensuring ethical use of artificial intelligence, designing and building Formula 1 racecars, engineering solutions to assist with national park conservation efforts, and performing on Broadway, to name some. They are united by their dedication to making a meaningful impact on the world at large.

The Stamps Scholarship covers up to the full cost of attendance for four years of undergraduate study at most partner institutions, along with enrichment funds for academic and professional development. These funds enable Scholars to pursue opportunities such as study abroad, conferences, internships, and research. With an estimated total value of $59.3 million over their time in school, the scholarships for this incoming class underscore the Stamps Scholars Program’s commitment to fostering future leaders.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – June 2024 – The Stamps Scholars Program announces its 19th class of Stamps Scholars, comprising of 365 exemplary students from 37 esteemed partner institutions across the United States and into the United Kingdom. Chosen from a highly …