MACON, Ga. – Mercer University welcomed 14 students this fall as part of the University’s 15th 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, as well as an allowance for research or study abroad, books and supplies.
“Mercer University has partnered with the Stamps Scholars Program since 2012 to invest in students who show remarkable vision and initiative,” said Director of University Honors David A. Davis, Ph.D. “Mercer Stamps Scholars have gone on to become physicians, attorneys, scientists, engineers, musicians, bankers, poets and dozens of other careers that change the world. We are excited to enroll this new cohort of scholars who will contribute to the program’s impact.”
Eleven freshmen joined Mercer’s newest cohort of Stamps Scholars:
- Mahi Dsouza from Cumming
- Luke Harris from Youngsville, Louisiana
- Avi Jaiswal from Kennesaw
- Aavi Patel from Alpharetta
- Lily Piepenbrink from Chandler, Arizona
- Micah Pieper from Marietta
- Valentina Ronga from Pasadena, California
- Tyler Shaw from Richmond Hill
- Somie Shrestha from Alpharetta
- Alana Smith from Lawrenceville
- Karishma Zechariah from Augusta
Three walk-on juniors also joined the 15th class of Stamps Scholars:
- Christopher Field, a neuroscience and biochemistry and molecular biology double-major from Lilburn
- Kara Dell, a biomedical engineering major from Colfax, North Carolina
- Ujvali Patel, a neuroscience major from Tifton
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.
Scholar Micah Pieper said she is grateful to Mercer and the Stamps Foundation for allowing her the opportunity.
“To be chosen as a Stamps Scholar is an honor beyond my wildest dreams,” said Pieper. “Being surrounded by such hardworking and talented individuals helps to push me to become the best student and person I can be.”
Scholar Mahi Dsouza said being a Stamps Scholar means having a community that shares the same high level of curiosity and purpose.
“The Stamps program has connected me with students of diverse backgrounds and majors, all of whom I constantly learn from and feel inspired by,” said Dsouza. “It is deeply meaningful to be surrounded by peers who share a drive to change the world.”
The Stamps Scholars program also includes an enrichment fund for academic and professional development and access to a growing network of scholars and alumni.
About Stamps Scholars
Georgia native Roe Stamps, who was raised in Macon and attended Stratford Academy, and his late wife, Penny, launched the Stamps Scholarship in 2006 at their alma maters, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan, respectively. Though Penny Stamps passed away in December 2018, her legacy continues through the Stamps Scholars community, which has grown into an international network of more than 2,600 Scholars and alumni.
Feature image: The 15th class of Stamps Scholars was honored during a luncheon on Oct. 12, 2026, attended by the full cohort of Scholars, national Stamps Scholars Program representatives, and campus administrators and faculty who work with the Stamps Scholars. Photo by Marin Guta
