Emory University’s signature Robert W. Woodruff Scholars program has drawn 20 of the most high-achieving students from around the country and the world to join the Class of 2029 on the Atlanta and Oxford College campuses this fall.
Members of the latest cohort of Robert W. Woodruff Scholars have accomplishments ranging from performing opera on the national stage, to leading their high school swim team to a state title, to developing prototypes for global entrepreneurship competitions, and beyond.
They chose Emory and Oxford over other top-tier schools thanks to the opportunities to nurture multiple academic passions, the support to find meaningful work in research and volunteer efforts, and the access to faculty and students who challenge their intellect and broaden their perspectives.
“This year’s scholars bring a broad set of talents and experiences to Emory and the scholar community,” says Amy Lebo, director of the Woodruff Scholars Program. “We are excited to foster their growth and watch them thrive within and beyond Emory as our next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators.”
The Woodruff scholarship honors the vision of the former Coca-Cola Company president who endowed the university with a then-record $105 million in 1979, in part to draw Ivy League-bound students to Emory instead.
The program covers the full cost of an undergraduate education for recipients, who are selected based on their academic achievements, character and significant leadership and community engagement efforts.
Including this year’s cohort, the scholarship has recognized 916 students. That includes specific awards added over time for those with talents in debate and music and, through the Woodruff-Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, for exceptional students from metro Atlanta.
Of this year’s cohort, 16 Woodruff Scholars will start at the Atlanta campus of Emory College of Arts and Sciences.
“Welcoming this year’s Woodruff Scholars to Emory College underscores the promise of a liberal arts education anchored in discovery, service, and leadership,” says Emory College Dean Barbara Krauthamer. “Their curiosity and drive will elevate our classrooms and our community from day one.”
The remaining four students are Oxford College Woodruff Scholars who will attend their first two years on Emory’s original campus in Oxford, Georgia.
“This year’s Woodruff Scholars embody the spirit, values and mission of Oxford,” says Oxford College Dean Badia Ahad. “They are passionate, creative, inquisitive and service-minded, and we look forward to supporting them as they explore and chart their unique paths in our close-knit community.”
For the first time, this year’s cohort also includes three QuestBridge Scholar matches, all of whom will start in Emory College.
QuestBridge invites high-achieving, high-need students to apply through its National College Match program and rank their interest among 42 top partner colleges and universities.
Students whose interest matches with Emory receive early-decision admission. They are typically the first admitted students of the new class, with a guarantee of full financial support to start at Emory College or Oxford College.
Woodruff funding will replace the QuestBridge scholarship for those students, allowing them to access deeper benefits and opportunities.
Finding new passions through community
Carys Peden, a QuestBridge Scholar from Sturgis, Mississippi, is eager to pursue opportunities related to finance, economics and networking. Her passion for financial literacy developed in high school, when at times she juggled full-time work alongside courses and activities to help with family bills.
“I would love to gain the skills and experience at Emory to become a financial adviser, to help others who are in my situation,” says Peden, who also plans to study Spanish and develop a free financial literacy program for young people. “Emory seems like a really great community that uplifts the students, and I am excited for that.”
That community is tangible even on the other side of the world.
Nicole Phiri found communicating with Emory professors and students from her home in Harare, Zimbabwe, a “joy,” because of how approachable everyone has been.
After an extensive college search focused primarily on research opportunities, that warm welcome became as significant to Phiri as the chance to explore different approaches to psychology — her planned major — and perhaps join the Emory University Symphony Orchestra on trumpet.
“I will allow myself to discover specific programs and research opportunities in real time, but I know I will be looking into volunteer activities first,” Phiri says. “I want to be in the spaces where different beliefs and values can be discussed and examined for the benefit of the human mind.”
For other students, certain clubs have already risen to the top of the list.
Will Perry is already planning to join Oxford Students for Prison Education, Activism and Resistance (OxSPEAR), a prison reform group similar to a wrongful conviction organization he started at his high school in New Albany, Ohio.
When Perry learned that such a program exists at Oxford — and when he heard directly from other Oxford students about their experiences with it — he was convinced that the close-knit setting at the historic campus would be a good fit.
“Oxford is such a unique place because it gives me the advantage of enjoying a smaller school for my first two years, but with all of the advantages of Emory for my last two years,” says Perry, who plans to study political science and pursue law school after graduation. “I love that we are encouraged to explore multiple fields because I feel like what I learn in classes not related to my major is just as valuable for what I’ll bring to my career.”
While many Woodruff Scholars are coming from different states — or countries — plenty grew up in Georgia.
Troy Butler has more experience with Emory than most first-year students, having conducted research last summer in Tamara Caspary’s human genetics lab at the Emory School of Medicine.
The MLK-Woodruff Scholar from Decatur, Georgia, plans to seek additional research positions to understand the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease, which his grandfather has, and to support a tentative pre-med major in biology.
But he is also interested in pursuing ethics and philosophy courses, along with finding time to play soccer and join cultural clubs like the Black Student Union.
“Emory gives me the option to have different interests and explore them by learning as much as I can,” Butler says. “I’m very excited to see what I find interesting, so I can pursue whatever most motivates me.”
Meet the latest Woodruff Scholars
Atlanta campus
Members of the Emory Scholars Class of 2029 have extensive academic achievements and cite a commitment to serving others, despite varied interests. All are Woodruff Scholars unless otherwise noted.
Aliyah Aftin
Aliyah Aftin, of Atlanta, is a Martin Luther King, Jr. Woodruff Scholar who was executive chair of the Model U.N. Club, a varsity swimmer and member of her high school’s investment club. She also has a strong interest in the Arabic language, which she has studied for 12 years at her local mosque, and business. She plans to study both at Emory.
Troy Butler
Troy Butler, of Decatur, Georgia, is a Martin Luther King, Jr. Woodruff Scholar who served as student government president, captain of the soccer team, vice president of My Brother’s Keeper and vice president of National Honor Society in high school. He worked in a human genetics lab last summer, winning the Best Poster prize at the Ireland Cilia 2024 conference. At Emory, he plans to major in biology and minor in ethics, working toward a career as a geneticist.
Thaddeus Cross
Thaddeus Cross, of Atlanta, is a Woodruff Debate Scholar and top 25 nationally-ranked policy debater who has helped teach at the Emory National Debate Institute and coach state title-winning teams. He also served as vice president of his high school’s National Spanish Honors Society and volunteered as a tutor at the Agape Atlanta Community Center. He plans to study economics and philosophy at Emory, while continuing to engage in debate and community service.
Chelsea Daniel
Chelsea Daniel, of Acworth, Georgia, is a QuestBridge Scholar who has played violin for a decade and performed with the Georgia Youth Symphony and Georgia All-State Orchestra. She also served as student body president of her high school, led her swim team to a state championship as captain and, as chair of the Student Services Board, developed a passion for neurodevelopmental disorders. She plans to study Latin and neuroscience at Emory, working toward a career in pediatric neurosurgery.
Roshan Dhand
Roshan Dhand, of Chappaqua, New York, led a local TEDx event, captained his high school debate team and founded NextStepTutors, which aids individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned and later released. At Emory, he wants to build on his experiences in epidemiology and research examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on at-risk communities by studying biological and policy solutions to societal health concerns.
Emerson Farrar
Emerson Farrar, of Lexington, Kentucky, has studied violin for 15 years and founded a chamber ensemble that won the 2024 Borchardt Concerto Competition. For four years, he was captain of both his high school lacrosse team and academic team while also running a sports photography/videography business and conducting research at the University of Kentucky. He hopes to double major in chemistry and music performance at Emory before attending medical school.
Ryan Heshmati
Ryan Heshmati, of Saratoga, California, organized his high school mock trial, philosophy club and investment club, in addition to writing for a local NPR station and a school journal that he co-founded. He also examined informed public opinion and contemporary polarization as a research assistant at Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab. He plans to study philosophy at Emory before attending law school in pursuit of a career in public service and the judiciary.
Tvisha Jindal
Tvisha Jindal, of Dallas, served as president and policy captain of her school’s debate team, participated in an Arabic exchange program and now hosts a film and travel podcast on Spotify. As a volunteer with the American Red Cross and National Youth Council and North Texas Executive Board, she raised more than $5,000 and founded a disaster preparedness program for teens. She plans to double major in international studies and economics at Emory before pursuing law school.
Charlize Ko
Charlize Ko, of Wayne, Pennysylvania, is founder and director of an international animation film team, sits on a strategic working group for Amnesty International and serves as executive director of brand and strategy at Diversify Our Narrative, a national racial justice nonprofit advocating for education reform. She also acted as communications lead in a local effort fighting ethnic displacement in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. She plans to major in African American studies and economics at Emory.
Hira Malik
Hira Malik, of Bellaire, Texas, served as founder and president of Community Voices for Education, which helps students advocate for district reforms, and as national secretary for Students for Refugees to help migrants settle in Houston and beyond. She also conducted research at Rice University, studying sorghum aphid host-range expansion. She plans a pre-med major at Emory, perhaps in human health, toward a career in conflict zones with Doctors Without Borders.
Chloe Park
Chloe Park, of Marietta, Georgia, is a Woodruff Music Scholar and classically trained flutist who, as principal flutist in the Atlanta Symphony and Emory youth orchestras, has won several solo competitions. In high school, she played varsity golf, was vice captain of the Science Olympiad team and founded DREAM Ensemble, a nonprofit that performs at hospice and senior facilities. She plans to study neuroscience and music at Emory.
Carys Peden
Carys Peden, of Sturgis, Mississippi, is a QuestBridge Scholar who served as her high school’s student government president, secretary/treasurer of speech and debate, and founder of Poetry Out Louder. She also worked several jobs in high school while advocating and sharing information about financial literacy. At Emory, she plans to major in economics or finance before pursuing a career in financial advising.
Nicole Phiri
Nicole Phiri, of Harare, Zimbabwe, was part of a team that developed a mental health app that won second place in the 2024 Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneurship Competition in Africa. She also played trumpet in her school orchestra and played guitar part-time in her church. She plans to study psychology at Emory, with an eye toward a career in social justice and mental well-being.
Jazmine Roberts
Jazmine Roberts, of West Memphis, Arkansas, is a QuestBridge Scholar who co-founded and ran a student community service club, served as chair of the National Honor Society’s scholarship committee and was a section leader and clarinet player for her school’s marching band. She also served as a representative on student council and as president of her school’s HOSA-Future Health Professionals chapter. She plans to study nursing at Emory.
Johnny Stumpff
Johnny Stumpff, of Bessemer, Alabama, is a Woodruff Debate Scholar who served as his school’s debate team captain and placed at the National Speech and Debate Association tournament. He also was a leader in the social justice organization Heritage Panel and as president of student government, organizing a food drive that raised more than 1,400 pounds of food. He plans to major in philosophy, politics and law at Emory with a minor in artificial intelligence. His goal is to become a lawtech entrepreneur.
Alexa Walsh
Alexa Walsh, of Dix Hills, New York, is a Woodruff Music Scholar who dedicated herself to classical singing and playing cello. Her choral experience ranges from school and religious choirs to All-County, All-State and All-Eastern Honors Ensembles. She also has volunteered at a community pantry and served as cofounder of a mindfulness club. She plans to major in international studies and aspires to be an opera singer.
Oxford campus
Sabrina Tomei Gonzalez
Sabrina Tomei Gonzalez, of Fairfield, Connecticut, was opinion editor of her school paper, captain of the mock trial team and vice president of the Young Democrats. She produced news report videos as part of a PBS NewsHour summer internship. She also interviewed legislators on her own podcast and advocated at the local and state level. She plans to major in public policy and is considering law school and a career in policymaking.
Ella Griswold
Ella Griswold, of Peachtree City, Georgia, won awards at science and engineering fairs, with a focus on epidemiology and physics, and also served in her school’s arts and health care organizations. She wants to conduct research in regenerative medicine at Oxford, join Emory EMS and pursue writing projects. She plans to major in biophysics with the goal of a clinical pharmacy career.
Noah Guest
Noah Guest, of Spokane, Washington, completed several filmmaking projects in high school, including a cross-country documentary, a parody music video and an independent narrative short film. He also competed at the state level, placing second with his team in the SkillsUSA Digital Cinema Production competition. He plans to major in English and film and media at Oxford, toward a career of screenwriting and filmmaking.
Will Perry
Will Perry, of New Albany, Ohio, was a student speaker at the 2024 EF Tour Global Leadership Summit in Germany and a finalist in EF Innovation Village for a prototype device to minimize the environmental impact of anchors on coral reefs. He also founded and led his school’s wrongful conviction club and completed a senior seminar by shadowing local prosecutors and public defenders. He plans to major in political science and sociology at Oxford before pursuing law school and a career in criminal and constitutional law.