Elizabethtown College recently welcomed its seven-member incoming class of Stamps Scholars for the 2023-24 academic year.
“The first-year Stamps scholars are all passionate about service, and many are experienced leaders,” Jean Pretz, Director of the Elizabethtown College Stamps Scholars Program and Professor of Psychology said. “Their commitment to service has led many of them to advocate around issues such as healthcare, disability rights, and environmental sustainability.
“I hope they inspire their peers on campus to raise awareness around these issues and lead others to act for change that will make Etown a stronger community for all.”
The Stamps Scholarship is the most generous merit award offered at Etown. 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, internships, and 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 2022‐23 academic year was 3.84, with six of the 28 scholars maintaining a cumulative 4.0 GPA. Two Stamps scholars received Distinguished Student Awards in 2022-23, and one Class of 2023 scholar received a nationally competitive Critical Language Scholarship to study Mandarin.
Elizabethtown College Stamps Scholars – Class of 2027
Ellianna Andreen ’27 | Music Therapy (Intended) | Havre De Grace, Md. / Havre De Grace High School
Andreen is at the forefront of disability rights advocacy in her community, organizing a community event to bring awareness while sharing testimonies from people with disabilities including her own experience with cerebral palsy. She received the Girl Scout Gold Award for her leadership and advocacy.
Emmanuel Attah ’27 | Engineering (Intended) | Port Harcourt, Nigeria / Premiere Academy
Attah is committed to sustainability and intends to use his educational experience at Etown to solve engineering problems in his home country of Nigeria. He’s interested in solving the problem of unstable power supply and using machine intelligence and automation to improve healthcare systems.
Ava Barton ’27 | Business and Journalism (Intended) | Wilmington, Del. / Cab Calloway School of the Arts
Barton has already placed her name on the international list of rising filmmakers after her animated short film won the grand prize at the 2021 AnimArte International Film Festival in Brazil. While in high school, Barton also founded an LGBTQ+ organization and was an officer in student government and the environmental club.
Brian Duva ’27 | Computer Science and Mathematics (Intended) | Sykesville, Md. / Liberty High School
Duva co-captained his high school robotics team at the 2022 FIRST Robotics Club World Championship. He earned the Engineering Inspiration Award for his leadership as a robotic outreach lead and took on an engineering project where he built robots to enable children with physical disabilities to play golf.
Simone Ervin ’27 | Biology (Pre-Physician Assistant) (Intended) | Olympia, Wash. / Olympia High School
Ervin served on the youth advisory committee for the Washington State Department of Health as well as the climate advisory group for the city of Olympia. In addition to her extra-curricular outreach initiatives, Simone was in the leadership of her school’s student government.
Ryan Kraychik ’27 | Biology (Pre-Med) (Intended) | Holland, Pa. / Council Rock South High School
Kraychik earned the Congressional Service Award for his extensive service activity, which includes a virtual tutoring service for school-age children in Ukraine. He’s also provided translation services to patients in a hospital where he volunteered and created a club for future healthcare professionals at his high school which grew to over 100 members.
Holden Rice ’27 | Engineering (Intended) | Robesonia, Pa. / Conrad Weiser Area High School
Holden placed first in his division of the science and engineering fair for six years in a row, with one seventh-place finish internationally. He was also captain of his successful high school cross-country team and served as class president.
Learn more about Etown’s first-year class and the entire group of 27 current Stamps Scholars at etown.edu.
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 27 current students with 45 alumni. 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.