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This fall, Georgia State University welcomed its inaugural cohort of Stamps Scholars to campus. The program was established in 2006 at Georgia Tech and the University of Michigan by E. Roe Stamps and his late wife Penny with the goal of “enabling extraordinary educational experiences for extraordinary students.” The program, which has since expanded to 36 colleges across the U.S. and the United Kingdom, covers the cost of tuition, fees, housing, a meal plan, and a $10,000 enrichment fund, making it the most valuable academic scholarship offered to incoming first-year students.
Two of the five recipients in the Class of 2027 are Robinson students Shruthi Balachander and Aislynn Gonzalez, both of whom also are in the Honors College.
Shruthi Balachander is interested in majoring in real estate with a minor in law and ethics, and she plans to enroll in the Honors College’s Accelerated Bachelor’s/J.D. program. At present Balachander envisions using her Stamps enrichment fund for study abroad and is considering Robinson’s Maymester program in Morocco and its European Hospitality experience as well as an international business studies in Spain.
Aislynn Gonzalez, who is majoring in management and minoring in Spanish, also plans to attend law school. Gonzalez is a member of the university’s Pre-Law Society and she tutors students at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, including working with them on their college admission essays. Like Balachander, she is eyeing using her Stamps enrichment funds for international business study abroad programs in Morocco and Spain.
The five students comprising Georgia State’s inaugural Stamps Scholars cohort span a wide range of interests, from business to biomedical sciences, from computer science to writing, and are discussing selecting a four-year project to undertake to enact lasting change.
“Our Stamps cohort is always trying to evolve and produce something that is meaningful. We’re throwing out ideas on what our four-year project can be,” Gonzalez said, noting that they have discussed initiatives addressing homelessness and literacy.
“The members of our cohort are connected by a shared ambition, and a passion for what we do,” Balachander said, expressing appreciation for the opportunities presented by being a Stamps Scholar. “As the initial class of Stamps Scholars, we look forward to nurturing the incoming cohorts who follow us.”
Learn more: Georgia State Enrolls First Cohort of Stamps Scholars