Six of the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s incoming first-year students have been selected to join the Jefferson and Walentas Scholars’ Class of 2028.
They are among 46 high school seniors named by the Jefferson Scholars Foundation to receive the scholarships, which cover the full cost of attending the University of Virginia for four years.
Recipients also benefit from a variety of enrichment opportunities, including a foreign travel studies program, leadership and team-building workshops, career networking opportunities and exclusive access to venture funding through the foundation’s Exploratory Fund.
The incoming UVA Engineering scholar recipients are:
Jefferson Scholars
- Jack Copeland
- Griffin Franzese
- Kriti Maturu
- Aryan Mhaskar
- Olivia Smith
Walentas Scholar
- Ashley Hayden
Scholars are chosen through two highly competitive selection processes that begin with the students’ nomination by their high schools for their achievements in leadership, scholarship and citizenship. Walentas Scholar nominees must be among the first in their families to pursue and earn a four-year college degree.
This year, the foundation received 2,422 nominations for both scholarships. The Class of 2028 will join a community of 144 current Jefferson and Walentas Scholars at UVA in the fall.
Jefferson Fellows
The foundation also has named recipients of its premier graduate fellowships.
Jefferson Fellows selected from UVA Engineering are:
- Annelise Capener, civil and environmental engineering
- Matt Gunn, systems and information engineering
- Constanza Lorca Díaz, systems and information engineering
Jefferson Fellowships are based solely on merit and are designed to identify Ph.D. candidates who demonstrate outstanding achievement and the highest promise as scholars, teachers and public servants, according to the website.
UVA Engineering Jefferson Fellows receive $5,000 in year one and $10,000 in years two through five, plus up to $2,500 for research.