Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill Announce Robertson Scholars Class of 2015

Twenty-four
high school seniors admitted to Duke University or the University of
North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill have accepted invitations to become
Robertson Scholars, receiving full, four-year merit scholarships to
study at both schools.

The Robertson Scholarship, a
leadership development program, funds tuition, room and board, fees and
up to three summers of domestic and international experiences.

Robertson Scholars enroll in and
graduate from one school or the other, but they take courses at both.
They also spend a semester in residence at the other campus.

Hailing from nine states and five
foreign countries, 14 students will enroll this fall at Duke and 10 at
UNC. One of the UNC scholars is a 2010 recipient who deferred for a
year.

The Robertson Class of 2015 was
chosen based on students' demonstration of outstanding academic
achievement, intellectual curiosity, force of moral character,
exceptional leadership potential and interest in working with others,
said Abbey Greenberg Onn, assistant director of selection and recruiting
for the program.

"This cohort of scholars impressed
our selection committee members with an extraordinary mix of strengths,
experiences and skills," she said. "Each individual has distinguished
himself or herself not only as a promising intellectual mind, but also
as an influential leader of others toward meaningful goals."

Julian and the late Josie Robertson of New York founded the Robertson program in June 2000. The new Robertson Scholars are:

Scholars at Duke University (name, high school, hometown):

Australia

Julian Borrey, The Kings' School, Cherrybrook

New Zealand

Paige Muggeridge, New Plymouth Girls' High School, New Plymouth

South Africa

Gift Nyikayaramba, African Leadership Academy, Johannesburg

Anthony Olawo, African Leadership Academy, Johannesburg

Oluwatobi Runsewe, African Leadership Academy, Johannesburg

South Korea

Woojin Kim, Yongsan International School of Seoul, Seoul

United Kingdom

Ben Hatt, Radley College, Redbourn

United States

Arizona

Scott Boisvert, Basha High School, Chandler

California

Emelyn Erickson, Las Lomas High School, Walnut Creek

Joyce Lau, Mira Loma High School, El Dorado Hills

Florida

Elisa Berson, Freedom High School, Tampa

New York

Oren Bukspan, Stuyvesant High School, New York

North Carolina

John Bowman, Charlotte Latin School, Charlotte

Lydia Thurman, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham

Scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (name, high school, hometown):

New Zealand

Breanna Cukier, Glendowie College, Auckland

United States

Georgia

Sarah Rutherford, Grayson High School, Loganville

Kansas

Gihani Dissanayake, Manhattan High School, Manhattan

Maryland

Katherine Jordan, Richard Montgomery High School, Darnestown

North Carolina

Ademide Adelekun, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Gastonia

James Collier, Highland School of Technology, Gastonia

Kristen Fajgenbaum, Ravenscroft School, Raleigh

Jillian Froelick, North Carolina
School of Science and Mathematics, Matthews (chosen in 2010 and deferred
admission until this year)

Caroline Leland, Faith Christian School, Tarboro

Virginia

Jefferson Sinclair, Herndon High School, Herndon

For more about the Robertson Scholars Program, visit www.robertsonscholars.org.