Prestigious Programs, Co-op and Full Scholarships Draw Highly Recruited Students to UC

They’re the newest batch of Bearcats who can be counted among the nation’s highest achievers, both in and out of the classroom. Ten incoming freshmen are recipients of the full, four-year $80,000 Cincinnatus scholarships to pay for tuition, room and board, books and fees after a campus competition offered more than $18 million in different levels of scholarships.

Since 1997, UC’s Cincinnatus Scholarship Competition has awarded students for their academic achievement, leadership and commitment to community service. Each UC Cincinnatus scholar is required to perform 30 hours of community service per academic year.

Some of the new full scholarship recipients are continuing a family Bearcat tradition of pursuing their education at UC.

Andrew Frankart, Lima, Ohio – The 17-year-old graduate of Lima Central Catholic High School is a National Merit Finalist and earned a perfect score on the ACT. Frankart is majoring in biology and was accepted into UC’s prestigious Connections Program, which guarantees his admission into the UC College of Medicine on completion of his undergraduate degree. He will also be joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students. Frankart graduated number one in his high school class and was president of student council, as well as captain of his varsity tennis and cross-country teams. His commitment to service included serving as a tutor at his school and with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He was recruited by other top universities across the country, but says he chose UC because of the university’s opportunities for undergraduate research as well as the opportunity offered through the UC Connections Program. “UC represents an institution with a unique combination of size, academic excellence and community that correlate very well with my expectations for college,” he says. “I’m looking forward to utilizing the high-caliber academic resources at the university. I also look forward to being a part of the Bearcat community with my classmates and enjoying that experience at athletic and other campus events.”

Paul Gordon, Shreve, Ohio – The 18-year-old graduate of Triway High School is a National Merit Scholar and is entering the freshman engineering program as well as the University Honors Program for academically talented students. He says UC’s cooperative education program – founded at UC, which alternates classroom study with paid, working experience – influenced his decision to choose UC for college study. Gordon was president of his high school’s Future Farmers of America organization and also participated in Student Council, cross-country and track-and field. His service activities included traveling to Kansas to rebuild an area destroyed by a tornado. Gordon says he’s looking forward to meeting new friends and “growing as a person,” as he enters UC this fall.

Daniel Hanna, Holland, Ohio – The 18-year-old graduate of St. John’s Jesuit High School & Academy plans to major in political science and minor in middle eastern studies, with the goal of attending law school. A child of Egyptian immigrants, Hanna says he is the first in his family to go to college in the United States. He says he chose UC because of its diversity and because it has a strong liberal arts program, which he felt would be a strong foundation for his plans to go to law school. “Also, when I visited campus, everyone was so nice. It was awesome getting to visit and go through the interview process for Cincinnatus. By the time I finished that process, I didn’t want to go anywhere else.” Hanna was active in student government and was president of his high school’s Arabic Club. He also played varsity soccer. His service activities included serving as vice president of his school’s Feed the Hungry organization. He also served as a mentor in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and participated in a social justice group that did community service projects around Toledo. Hanna is joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students. He says he’s looking forward this fall to his new independence as a college student, as well as taking honors classes and meeting new people.

Kathleen Hurley, New Straitsville, Ohio – The 17-year-old valedictorian of Fairfield Union High School plans to major in chemistry. She says she is interested in pursuing a career in medicine and chose UC because of its larger city setting, the array of hospitals located in the city and the diverse cultural opportunities that a larger city offers. Her grandfather, Robert E. Hurley, is a UC graduate in chemical engineering. Her high school activities included participating in marching, symphonic and jazz band. Her participation on Student Council included organizing the school’s Homecoming dance and serving as an ambassador to community organizations. Her academic achievements include receiving superior awards at her local, district and state science fairs for six years as well as earning high school honors in French, social studies and biology. Her volunteer service included organizing food drives for local families in need and organizing a gift drive to benefit soldiers. She is joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students.

Sophia Mitchell, Louisville, Ky. – The 18-year-old graduate of duPont Manual Magnet High School is majoring in aerospace engineering and is joining the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s ACCEND program, an accelerated five-year engineering program in which students earn their bachelor and master’s degrees. She is joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students. She follows a family of Bearcats including her mother, who attended the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), and her father, who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from UC before going to law school. Her maternal grandparents are also graduates of UC. Mitchell was president of her high school’s Women in Science and Engineering program and was captain of the Science Olympiad Team. She was a two-time winner at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Her other activities include a love of flying (she holds a student pilot’s license), diving (she competed in national, state and regional springboard diving competitions) and music (piano and guitar). Mitchell is also a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Mountaineering. She previously earned college credit in physics at the University of Louisville, where she also held a three-year internship as a researcher in the astrophysics department. Mitchell’s service activities included work with an organization that provided horseback riding therapy to special needs children. She also worked with fifth-grade girls to encourage their interest in math and science fields. She says UC’s co-op program, the diverse student body and the beautiful campus helped her commit to pursuing her college education at UC.

Kathe Pocker, Fairview Park, Ohio – The 17-year-old graduate of Saint Joseph Academy plans to major in biomedical engineering and is interested in pursuing a career in medicine. “The University of Cincinnati seems very service oriented, and helping others is a huge part of who I am,” she says. Pocker has made multiple hair donations to Wigs for Kids, an organization that supports young people battling cancer. She also organized a school supplies drive to benefit a girls’ school in Tanzania. Other high-school activities included participating in marching and concert band as well as school productions. She says she is looking forward to making lasting friendships at UC and becoming involved in the wide range of student organizations and service activities on campus. She is joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students.

Lauren Schultz, Springfield Township, Ohio – The 18-year-old National Merit Finalist was valedictorian of McAuley High School and will be majoring in mechanical engineering. She’s entering the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s ACCEND program, an accelerated five-year engineering program in which students earn their bachelor and master’s degrees. “I’m looking forward to living on an exciting campus and becoming involved in the many opportunities,” she says. “I also can’t wait to meet new friends and confront new academic challenges.” Both of her parents were Bearcats. Her father, Jim, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and her mother, Lynn, earned a bachelor’s in business administration. She is joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students. Her high school leadership included being field commander of the marching band. As co-president of the Latin Club, the group’s McAuley Certamen team placed first in state competition the last academic year. She was also a member of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) Team, which placed third in the nation her junior year in high school. Her service activities include regular participation in Relay For Life fundraisers for the American Cancer Society and she has donated her hair to make wigs for cancer patients.

Rebecca Shelton, New Knoxville, Ohio – The 17-year-old salutatorian of New Knoxville High School and National Merit Commended Scholar plans to major in English at UC. Her brother, Daniel, is an upperclassman majoring in biomedical engineering. Rebecca Shelton was Senior Class Treasurer of her high school and belonged to numerous academic organizations including the National Honor Society, the Scholastic Bowl Team and the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) Team. She was also a talented athlete and musician, earning varsity letters in volleyball, cheerleading and track as well as playing trombone in the school band, pep band and jazz band and holding lead singing roles in her school plays. Her service commitments included tutoring children after school and providing musical entertainment to nursing home residents. She is joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students. “I’m looking forward to classes, meeting new people, getting involved in a variety of activities and immersing myself in college life,” she says.

Julia Tasset, Indian Hill (Cincinnati), Ohio – The 18-year-old Ursuline Academy graduate and National Merit Commended student plans to major in chemistry and Spanish, and says she hopes to advance social justice issues in the Hispanic community. She will also be a member of UC’s lacrosse team. She served as captain of her high school varsity lacrosse team and also played varsity field hockey. Tasset was the Ursuline Academy Scholar Athlete of the Year her sophomore and junior years in high school. She also received numerous awards for her academic achievements. Her service activities include mission work in Tijuana, Mexico, and volunteering at a local Spanish language day care center that serves Hispanic families. She also volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House. Tasset’s first experience at UC was through a summer program for academically talented high school students. “I have always been impressed by the diverse service and research opportunities open to students,” she says. “I am hoping to keep very busy with UC’s special programs, such as the Choose Ohio First program and the University Honors Program. I know these experiences will make my freshman year both memorable and formative,” she says. Tasset also follows a Bearcat family tradition. Her father, Dr. Jerry Tasset, MD, is a UC grad (McMicken College of Arts and Sciences and the UC College of Medicine), as is her uncle, James Horn. Her mother, Dr. Joyce Horn, MD, also worked as a resident at University Hospital.

Christopher Wells, Loveland, Ohio – The 18-year-old graduate of Loveland High School plans to major in graphic design in UC’s internationally ranked School of Design, part of the university’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). Wells was his school’s student council vice president and was an award-winning member of his varsity swim team. His service activities included serving as a swimming coach for a youth team as well as volunteering as a camp counselor for at-risk youth and serving on a church mission trip to South Africa. He says he chose UC because “It’s a fun, beautiful and prospering university with awesome nationally ranked programs.” His grandfather, Charles Puchta, is a UC alum, earning his undergraduate degree in 1940 and his law degree in 1943. Wells is joining the University Honors Program for academically talented students.

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2011 Cincinnatus Information