51 incoming MSU students earn full merit scholarships

By Melanie Brender

Michigan State University has awarded comprehensive scholarships to 51 extraordinary incoming first-year students. Alumni Distinguished Scholarships are part of a 71-year tradition, University Distinguished Scholarships were initiated in 2000, and the Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarships have enabled more students than ever to receive full merit awards to MSU.

“The Williams Scholarship enables our university to empower this group of talented scholars to pursue excellence without limits,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “With a global network, a culture of discovery, and a commitment to access and opportunity, MSU is uniquely positioned to help extraordinary students grow their talents and expand their impact on the world.”

The scholarships are considered some of the most competitive awards in the nation. They cover full tuition, room and board, and a stipend for up to eight semesters of undergraduate study.

Each awardee also receives a spot in the MSU Honors College’s Professorial Assistantship program, which provides a two-year paid research placement with a faculty mentor.

“As professorial assistants through the Honors College, these 51 scholars will work alongside world-class faculty to address real-world problems through meaningful research,” said MSU Honors College Dean Glenn Chambers, Ph.D. “Empowered with a Spartan education, they will become leaders of discovery positioned to make a global impact.”

“These students are extraordinary, not only because of what they have already achieved, but because of the energy, curiosity, and leadership they will bring to MSU. These scholarships help make it possible for them to join our campus community and make a meaningful impact across the university,” said MSU Interim Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions Alexander Landen.

The newest scholars represent 13 states and five countries. They are pursuing degrees across nine different colleges at MSU.

Alumni Distinguished Scholars 

Alumni Distinguished Scholars are outstanding high school graduates who applied to MSU, wrote short essay responses, took an intensive general knowledge exam, and participated in interviews with the selection committee of faculty and staff this past winter.

The 2026 Alumni Distinguished Scholars are:  

• Gavin Arena of Wheaton North High School and Wheaton, Illinois. Arena plans to major in supply chain management through the Eli Broad College of Business.
• Miranda Belo of Dublin Coffman High School and Dublin, Ohio. Belo plans to major in chemical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Eric Beswick of North Hunterdon High School and Lebanon, New Jersey. Beswick plans to major in electrical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Giovanni Bickel of Chelsea High School and Dundee, Michigan. Bickel plans to major in mathematics through the College of Natural Science.
• Carston Broderick of Dow High School and Midland, Michigan. Broderick plans to major in chemical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Fiona Burke of Lane Technical High School and Chicago, Illinois. Burke plans to major in biology through Lyman Briggs College.

• Avery Collins of Clarence High School and Clarence Center, New York. Collins plans to major in electrical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Kedzie Hall of Jenison High School and Hudsonville, Michigan. Hall plans to major in packaging through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• Fatima Hammoud of Crestwood High School and Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Hammoud plans to major in neuroscience through the College of Natural Science.
• Maria Khan of Plymouth High School and Canton, Michigan. Khan plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology through the College of Natural Science.
• Lincoln Kuhl of East Grand Rapids High School and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Kuhl plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Evan Maki of Sylvania Northview High School and Sylvania, Ohio. Maki plans to major in chemical engineering through the College of Engineering.

• Violet McKay of Zeeland East High School and Zeeland, Michigan. McKay plans to major in neuroscience through the College of Natural Science.
• Peter Moe of Grosse Pointe North High School and Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Moe plans to major in neuroscience through Lyman Briggs College.
• Alex Morrison of Elkhorn High School and Elkhorn, Nebraska. Morrison plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Rory Welling of Chelsea High School and Chelsea, Michigan. Welling plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Eli Zaksek of Saline High School and Saline, Michigan. Zaksek plans to major through James Madison College. 

University Distinguished Scholars  

The Honors College dean and the university’s interim executive director of undergraduate admissions selected University Distinguished Scholars from a pool of all MSU applicants based on high school programs, achievements, and finalist interviews.

The 2026 University Distinguished Scholars are:  

• Zora Key of Little Rock Central High School and Little Rock, Arkansas. Key plans to major in history through the College of Social Science.
• Andrew Sreseli of the Komarovi Physics and Mathematics School N199 and Tbilisi in the country of Georgia. Sreseli plans to major in electrical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Sophia Tavarez of the Bronx High School of Science and the Bronx, New York. Tavarez plans to major in economics through the College of Social Science. 

Williams Scholars  

The Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarship, named for MSU’s inaugural president and first lady, premiered in December 2024. Williams Scholars followed the same selection process as Alumni Distinguished Scholars: applying to MSU, submitting essays, taking a general knowledge exam, and interviewing with a faculty-staff committee.

The scholarship program is differentiated by an experiential learning opportunity, which awardees can propose and pursue with an additional $7,500 stipend.

The 2026 Williams Scholars are:  

• Jack Alton of Schaumburg High School and Schaumburg, Illinois. Alton plans to major in linguistics through the College of Arts and Letters.
• Layla Bajric of Ford II High School and Macomb, Michigan. Bajric plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology through Lyman Briggs College.
• Safia Behmen of BASIS Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. Behmen plans to major in international relations through James Madison College.
• Nolan Booth of Canyon Crest Academy and San Diego, California. Booth plans to major in physics through the College of Natural Science.
• Lucky Cofone of Fairfield Ludlowe High School and Fairfield, Connecticut. Cofone plans to major in political theory and constitutional democracy through James Madison College.
• Luke Compton of Maine South High School and Park Ridge, Illinois. Compton plans to major in civil engineering through the College of Engineering.

• Brady Crossetta of Williamsville South High School and Buffalo, New York. Crossetta plans to major in chemistry through Lyman Briggs College.
• Ngoc Phuong Vy Dinh of VNU-HCM High School for the Gifted and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Dinh plans to major in economics through the College of Social Science.
• Ezra Dunscombe of Plainfield High School and Plainfield, Indiana. Dunscombe plans to major in chemical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Aletha Elser of Farmington High School and Farmington Hills, Michigan. Elser plans to major in genetics and genomics through Lyman Briggs College.
• Katie Foley of Maine South High School and Park Ridge, Illinois. Foley plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology through the College of Natural Science.
• Anna Foote of Southfield Christian High School and Lathrup Village, Michigan. Foote plans to major in psychology through the College of Social Science.

• Ben Holbrook of Huron High School and New Boston, Michigan. Holbrook plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Laurel Howard of Grissom High School and Huntsville, Alabama. Howard plans to major in environmental studies and sustainability through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• Mia Juzych of Academy of the Sacred Heart and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Juzych plans to major in human biology through Lyman Briggs College.
• Casey Knas of Bloomfield Hills High School and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Knas plans to major in jazz studies through the College of Music.
• Paul Krone of Lincoln-Way East High School and Frankfort, Illinois. Krone plans to major in political science through the College of Social Science.
• Kody Leano of West Chicago Community High School and West Chicago, Illinois. Leano plans to major in electrical engineering through the College of Engineering.

• Greta Lyons of Rochester High School and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Lyons plans to major in plant biology through the College of Natural Science.
• Mahathi Mathiyazhagan of Okemos High School and Okemos, Michigan. Mathiyazhagan plans to major through Lyman Briggs College.
• Kiran Ofei-Amoh of Pickerington High School Central and Pickerington, Ohio. Ofei-Amoh plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology/biotechnology through Lyman Briggs College.
• Natalie Olinger of North Hollywood High School and Los Angeles, California. Olinger plans to major in economics through the College of Social Science.
• Jordan Penfold of Warren Township High School-Almond Campus and Grayslake, Illinois. Penfold plans to major in cropping systems science through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• Swastika Prakash Srivastava of Mind Tree IIT Mandi Campus School and Kamand Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, India. Srivastava plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology/biotechnology through the College of Natural Science.

• Simrin Rao of Carroll Senior High School and Southlake, Texas. Rao plans to major in neuroscience through Lyman Briggs College.
• David Rivera Lopez of Saco Oliveros School-Bellavista and Lima, Peru. Rivera Lopez plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Ben Rolain of Barrington Community High School and Barrington, Illinois. Rolain plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Marissa Schnurstein of Dexter High School and Dexter, Michigan. Schnurstein plans to major in Spanish through the College of Arts and Letters.
• Jeff Soukhojak of Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy and Midland, Michigan. Soukhojak plans to major in microbiology through the College of Natural Science.
• Isaac Thomas of Huron High School and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Thomas plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Milee Zarate-Bayani of Agoura High School and Agoura Hills, California. Zarate-Bayani plans to major in psychology through the College of Social Science.

 

More information about merit scholarships for incoming first-year students is on the MSU Office of Admissions website. Contact MSU Honors College Assistant Dean Bess German, Ph.D., at germanr@msu.edu with questions.