MACON, Ga. – Mercer University welcomed nine incoming freshmen this fall as part of the University’s 14th class of Stamps Scholars.
Mercer is one of just 37 institutions nationwide to partner with the prestigious Stamps Scholars Program, which covers full tuition, room and board and mandatory fees along with an allowance for research or study abroad, books and supplies.
Mercer’s newest Stamps Scholars include:
- Lucas Ardelean, a biology major from Woodstock
- Mars Carstens, a southern studies major from Marietta
- Andrew Fleming, a history and political science double-major from Fayetteville
- Aknara Fonseka, an engineering major from Athurugiriya, Sri Lanka
- Kris Hammond, a philosophy major from Duluth
- Olivia Howell, a music major from Suwanee
- Allie Mahoney, a biology major from Greensboro, North Carolina
- Akanksha Manna, a public health major from Marietta
- Bill Nguyen, a biology major from Tifton
“Since 2010, Mercer University has partnered with the Stamps Foundation to offer scholarships that invest in students who show the capacity to change the world,” said Dr. David A. Davis, director of University Honors. “Mercer Stamps Scholars have gone on to graduate and professional school at Harvard, MIT and other top institutions; they are working for NASA, Disney and the State Department, among other organizations; and they have become doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, musicians, writers and other professionals. We are excited to imagine how the next class of Stamps scholars will change the world.”
The Stamps Scholars program covers all expenses for four years of undergraduate study and includes an enrichment fund that scholars can use for their academic and professional development. Other benefits include participation in a national day of service and access to a growing network of scholars and alumni.
“One of my favorite parts of the Stamps program is the community that I have found with the other Stamps Scholars at Mercer who are passionate about understanding the world and making it a better place,” said scholar Mars Carstens. “I’m really grateful to the Stamps program for helping me form relationships now that will last a lifetime.”
Stamps Scholars are among the recipients of prestigious awards including Fulbright, Gates Cambridge, Goldwater, Marshall, Rhodes, Schwarzman and Truman scholarships. Stamps alumni work with top companies and organizations such as Google, Goldman Sachs, and NASA and pursue graduate degrees at leading institutions.
