Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Thirty-five high-achieving freshmen at Arkansas State University have been awarded the prestigious A-State Scholar, the university’s highest academic scholarship.

The students, all part of the university’s Honors College, come from five different states, include high school valedictorians and salutatorians, and represent a range of majors on campus. 

| ADD US ON GOOGLE NEWS: Click here to see more local news from Jonesboro Right Now

A-State Scholar recipients receive an $18,000 scholarship awarded annually. Requirements include being a high school graduate with a minimum ACT superscore of 31 or a 1400 SAT score, and a 3.5 high school grade point average (GPA). Recipients must have a minimum 3.5 college GPA to maintain the scholarship. 

The recipients are: 

Benton County:

• Everly O’Daniel, an exercise science major from Bentonville, who graduated from Bentonville High School

Craighead County: 

• Mia Caang, a biological sciences major from Jonesboro, who graduated from Valley View High School
• Cooper Caldwell, an exercise science major from Jonesboro, who graduated from Jonesboro High School
• Cole Chadwick, an exercise science major from Jonesboro, who graduated from Valley View High School
• William Crader, an exploratory studies major from Jonesboro, who graduated from Valley View High School
• Cesar Montana, a music major from Jonesboro, who graduated from Nettleton High School
• Hazim Ragab, a biological sciences major from Jonesboro, who graduated from Valley View High School
• William Spencer, a mechanical engineering from Jonesboro, who graduated Ridgefield Christian High School
• Raegan Smith, a biological sciences major from Jonesboro, who graduated from Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts
• Catherine Thompson, communication disorders major from Jonesboro, who was homeschooled

Crittenden County:

• Bryant Pollard, a civil engineering major from West Memphis, who graduated from West Memphis Christian School

Cross County:

• Cole Westbrook, a construction management major from Wynne, who graduated from Wynne High School

Faulkner County:

• Isaac Theis, a graphic design major from Greenbrier, who graduated from Greenbrier High School 

Fulton County:

• John Wilson, a mechanical engineering major from Salem, who graduated from Salem High School

Garland County: 

• Hadassah Heard, a chemistry major from Hot Springs, who graduated from Lake Hamilton High School
• Alayna Kincannon, an elementary education major from Amity, who graduated from Lake Hamilton High School
• Taylor Mitchell, a political science major from Hot Springs, who graduated from Lake Hamilton High School

Grant County: 

• Jackson Lazenby, a psychology major from Sheridan, who graduated from Sheridan High School

Izard County:

• Jonas Gschwandegger, a digital technology and design major from Melbourne, who graduated from Melbourne High School
• Silas Gschwandegger, a mechanical engineering major from Melbourne, who graduated from Melbourne High School

Lawrence County: 

• Jaxton Brady, a chemistry major from Walnut Ridge, who graduated from Walnut Ridge High School

Pulaski County:

• Kinkaid Dill, a biotechnology major from Austin, Ark. who graduated from Cabot High School
• Carter Faulkner, an accounting major from Little Rock, who graduated from Little Rock Christian Academy 
• Tyler Jackson, a business administration major from Sherwood, who graduated from Catholic High School for Boys 
• Karie Kongenske, an environmental science major from Cabot, who graduated from Cabot High School
• Jordyn Lane, a psychology major from Sherwood, who graduated from Mount St. Mary’s Academy
• Ayden Pittman, a computer science major from Maumelle, who graduated from Maumelle Charter High School

Randolph County:

• Aubrey Difani, a biological sciences major from Pocahontas, who graduated from Pocahontas High School 

Saline County:

• Reece Pennington, an animal science major from Benton, who graduated from Benton High School

Washington County:

• Kai Gardiner, a civil engineering major from Farmington, who graduated from Farmington High School

Logan County (Illinois):

• Myah Bowman, a mathematics major from Lincoln, who graduated from Lincoln Community High School

Lee County (Mississippi): 

• Cassidy Wilkins, a radiologic sciences major from Saltillo, who graduated from Tupelo Christian Prep School 

Cape Girardeau and Oregon counties (Missouri):

• Rowan Glass, a biological sciences major from Jackson, who graduated from Jackson High School
• Jaycelyn Wright, an agriculture major from Thayer, who attended Thayer R-2 Jr-Sr High School

Dyer County (Tennessee):

• Ethan Powell, an electrical engineering major from Dyersburg, who graduated from Dyer County High School

| DAILY BRIEF: Sign up for the Jonesboro Right Now Daily Brief Newsletter