By Melanie Brender

Michigan State University has awarded comprehensive scholarships to fifty exceptional incoming first-year students. Alumni Distinguished Scholarships are part of a 70-year tradition, University Distinguished Scholarships were initiated in 2000, and the inaugural Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarships have enabled more students than ever to receive full merit awards to MSU.

“These incoming students reflect Spartan excellence,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “By investing in their futures, Michigan State is not only opening the doors for student success – we’re serving as a greater talent activator, strengthening the future of our communities, our state, and our world.”

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

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 member.

“With access to world-class research opportunities, these fifty scholars will collaborate with faculty on groundbreaking work that addresses real-world challenges,” said MSU Honors College Interim Dean Glenn Chambers, Ph.D. “Their ideas, curiosity, and drive will fuel discoveries that reach far beyond campus. We can’t wait to see and support the impact these Honors College Spartans will make.”

“These students didn’t just meet expectations – they challenged them. They’re researchers, advocates, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers before even setting foot on campus. At MSU, we believe in giving them the space, support, and opportunities to turn big ideas into real-world impact. We can’t wait to welcome them into a community that celebrates ambition, creativity, and collaboration,” said MSU Executive Director of Admissions John Ambrose.

The newest scholars represent 10 states and eight countries. They are pursuing degrees across 12 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 2025 Alumni Distinguished Scholars are:

• Abigail Aardema of Liberal Arts and Science Academy and Austin, Texas. Aardema plans to major in kinesiology through the College of Education.
• William Daily of Olympia High School and Olympia, Wash. Daily plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• William Ford of Stoney Creek High School and Rochester, Mich. Ford plans to major in entomology through Lyman Briggs College.
• Nathan Guisinger of Eisenhower High School and Macomb, Mich. Guisinger plans to major in microbiology through the College of Natural Science
• Jolina Huchingson of Grosse Pointe South High School and Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. Huchingson plans to major in communicative sciences and disorders through the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
• Blaise Maliskey of Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy and Au Gres, Mich. Maliskey plans to major in supply chain management through the Eli Broad College of Business.

• Connor Mason of Heritage High School and Saginaw, Mich. Mason plans to major in linguistics through the College of Arts and Letters.
• Pierce Peruski of Clarkston High School and Clarkston, Mich. Peruski plans to major in actuarial science through the College of Natural Science.
• Nathan Romito of Williamsville North High School and Amherst, N.Y. Romito plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Peter Sanin of Detroit Catholic Central and Plymouth, Mich. Sanin plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology through the College of Natural Science.
• Emily Sklenicka of Wheaton Warrenville South High School and Wheaton, Ill. Sklenicka plans to major in actuarial science through the College of Natural Science.
• David Stout of Rockford Senior High School and Belmont, Mich. Stout plans to major in computer science through the College of Engineering.

• Henry Tighe of Rye High School and Rye, N.Y. Tighe plans to major in computer engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Yoseph Verevko of Okemos High School and Okemos, Mich. Verevko plans to major in human biology through Lyman Briggs College.
• Samantha Wagner of North Branch High School and Columbiaville, Mich. Wagner plans to major in chemistry through the College of Natural Science.
• Alexandra Watson of Midwood High School and Brooklyn, N.Y. Watson plans to major in animal science through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

University Distinguished Scholars

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

The 2025 University Distinguished Scholars are:

• Uriel Carrillo of St. John Paul II Catholic High School and Quincy, Fla. Carillo plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Brianna Deeble of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School and Lenexa, Kan. Deeble plans to major in special education-learning disabilities through the College of Education.
• William McIntyre of Amherst Central High School and Buffalo, N.Y. McIntyre plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology through the College of Natural Science.
• Aleksandr Skorkin of Secondary School 14 and Krasnogorsk, Russia. Skorkin plans to major in astrophysics through the College of Natural Science.

Williams Scholars

The Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarship is named after the university’s inaugural president and first lady. Guskiewicz and MSU announced the creation of the scholarship program in his investiture speech last September. 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 2025 Williams Scholars are:

• Tejas Agrawal of Naperville North High School and Naperville, Ill. Agrawal plans to major in computer science through the College of Engineering.
• Anneke Anglin of Forest Hills Central High School and Grand Rapids, Mich. Anglin plans to major in zoology through Lyman Briggs College.
• Anja Beck of Stuttgart High School and Stuttgart, Germany. Beck plans to major in biosystems engineering through the College of Engineering
• Sophia Bradley of Shawnee High School and Medford Lakes, N.J. Bradley plans to major in entomology through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• Sean Burk of Pine-Richland High School and Gibsonia, Pa. Burk plans to pursue pre-veterinary medicine through the College of Veterinary Medicine.
• John Cobb of Bloomfield Hills High School and Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Cobb plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology through the College of Natural Science.

• Harry Cornell of East Grand Rapids High School and Grand Rapids, Mich. Cornell plans to major in comparative cultures and politics through James Madison College.
• Ava Crozier of Northville High School and Northville, Mich. Crozier plans to major in management through the Eli Broad College of Business.
• Yesi Jad Madeit Doctolero of Philippine Science High School’s Southern Mindanao Campus and Davao City in the Philippines. Doctolero plans to major in physics through the College of Natural Science.
• Ava Freye of Mona Shores High School and Norton Shores, Mich. Freye plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology through Lyman Briggs College.
• Rylee Gehrlein of Moon Area High School and Coraopolis, Pa. Gehrlein plans to major in digital storytelling through the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
• Olivia Gwaltney of Willowbrook High School and Elmhurst, Ill. Gwaltney plans to major in advanced mathematics through the College of Natural Science.

• Miriam Haddad of Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy and Saginaw, Mich. Haddad plans to major through Lyman Briggs College.
• Nandini Jaithalia of Neerja Modi School and Jaipur, India. Jaithalia plans to major in journalism through the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
• Ethan Tyaba Kigundu of Aga Khan High School and Kampala, Uganda. Kigundu plans to major in actuarial science through the College of Natural Science.
• Kaela Laurin of Dexter High School and Dexter, Mich. Laurin plans to major in political science through the College of Social Science.
• Mary Catherine Leahy of Black River Public School and Holland, Mich. Leahy plans to be an exploratory preference major.
• Alessio LoBello of Downers Grove South High School and Downers Grove, Ill. LoBello plans to major in chemical engineering through the College of Engineering.

• Juan Pablo Lozano Gonzalez of Colegio Los Portales and Villavicencio, Colombia. Gonzalez plans to major in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Lillian Navin of Royal Oak High School and Royal Oak, Mich. Navin plans to major in psychology through the College of Social Science.
• Miriam Nell of Spotswood High School and Spotswood, N.J. Nell plans to major in civil engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Divya Nelluri of Novi High School and Novi, Mich. Nelluri plans to major through Lyman Briggs College.
• Rachael Over of Deerfield High School and Deerfield, Ill. Over plans to major in neuroscience through the College of Natural Science.
• AnnaBelle Pant of Sturgis High School and Sturgis, Mich. Plant plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology/biotechnology through the College of Natural Science.

• Kaiden Randol of Flushing High School and Flint, Mich. Randol plans to major in actuarial science through the College of Natural Science.
• Amrita Renduchintala of Farmington High School and Farmington, Mich. Renduchintala plans to major in biochemistry and molecular biology/biotechnology through the College of Natural Science.
• Avery Riehl of Liberty High School and Iowa City, Iowa. Riehl plans to major in political theory and constitutional democracy through James Madison College.
• Nora Thornber of Lemont High School and Woodridge, Ill. Thornber plans to major in actuarial science through the College of Natural Science.
• Ana Toradze of Komarovi Physics and Mathematics School N199 and Tbilisi in the country of Georgia. Toradze plans to major in electrical engineering through the College of Engineering.
• Kieran Venugopal of Ferndale High School and Ferndale, Mich. Venugopal plans to major in music education through the College of Music.

More information on the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship Competition and the Williams Scholarship is available here. Please contact MSU Honors College Assistant Dean Bess German, Ph.D., at germanr@msu.edu with questions.