Etown Stamps Scholars Class of 2026 with President Rider and Dr. Jean Pretz. Not pictured: Essex (E.J.) Finney

Elizabethtown College recently welcomed its incoming class of Stamps Scholars for the 2022-23 academic year. The 2026 cohort represents the College’s most-diverse group of scholars to date with five of the eight students identifying as a member of an underrepresented racial/ethnic group.

The Stamps Scholarship is the most generous merit award offered at the College. Each year, a group of first-year students receive the scholarship which covers full tuition for four years as well as an enrichment fund that can be used toward leadership development, study abroad, and internships, other student-driven initiatives. The Stamps Scholars Program recognizes and rewards exceptional students who exemplify leadership, perseverance, scholarship, service, overcoming obstacles, and innovation.

Stamps Scholars at Etown are academically successful, actively engaged in campus activities, and many participate in the Honors program. The average cumulative GPA among Stamps Scholars at the end of the 2021‐22 academic year was 3.87, with eight of the 26 scholars maintaining a cumulative 4.0 GPA.

“These incoming scholars are very talented academically and have been leaders in their communities,” Jean Pretz, Director of the Elizabethtown College Stamps Scholars Program and Professor of Psychology said. “Now that they are at Etown, I expect them to continue their work by contributing to efforts related to the College’s values of peace, non-violence, human dignity, and social justice.”

Members of the 2026 cohort have been highly involved in their high school careers. Their involvement ranges from captaining their school athletics teams to conducting independent research on topics such as healthcare disparities and the experience of refugees in America. Two scholars have given musical performances at Carnegie Hall and one was recently named a recipient of the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading (YVCR) first annual Youth of the Year Award.

These incoming scholars have also founded clubs and organizations aimed at increasing equity in their communities. One scholar implemented a clothes closet in her school, while others spearheaded efforts to provide feminine hygiene products to facilitate girls’ access to education. One scholar revitalized the Gay Straight Alliance at her school, and another created an anti-racism group and facilitated community conversations around issues of race and policing.

Elizabethtown College Stamps Scholars – Class of 2026

  • Callie Asper | Biochemistry (Intended) | Carlisle, Pa. / Boiling Springs High School
  • Essex (E.J.) Finney | Business (Intended) | Vienna, Va. / South Lakes High School
  • Erina Fortune | Biology (Pre-Med) (Intended) | Wexford, Pa. / Pine Richland High School
  • Madilyn (Maddy) Fratis | Communications (Intended) | Reading, Pa. / Wilson High School
  • Aurora Lefever | Public Health and Psychology (Intended) | Moscow, Pa. / North Pocono High School
  • Alysse Smith | Biology (Pre-Med) (Intended) | Silver Spring, Md. / Wheaton High School
  • Hanna Tran | Biology (Pre-Physician Assistant) (Intended) | Huntingdon Valley, Pa. / Lower Moreland High School
  • Elsa Woodarek | Public Health (Intended) | Ellicottville, N.Y. / Ellicottville Central School

About the Elizabethtown College Stamps Scholars Program

Etown’s Stamps Scholars program was established in 2011 and is one of 37 programs across the country. The program consists of 28 current students with 38 alumni and is proud to rank No. 2 in the nation in the number of prestigious fellowship winners among Stamps programs. Blue Jay Stamps Scholars have received Fulbright grants, the Gilman scholarship for international study, and Critical Language scholarships.

All scholars participate in programming designed to develop their abilities in scholarship, leadership, creativity, and service. This includes retreats, service projects, a summer course on leadership as social change, and opportunities to network with Stamps scholars across the country. In addition to receiving a generous scholarship and enrichment funds, each scholar is supported by a faculty guide who serves as a personal mentor throughout their four years on campus.