Duke Announces 48 New Undergraduate Merit Scholars for the Class of 2029

Awards provide financial support, mentorship and programming

Forty-eight incoming students in Duke’s Class of 2029 have been awarded merit scholarships, the Office of University Scholars and Fellows (OUSF) has announced.

Each individual merit scholarship program has a dedicated faculty or staff director who provides mentorship, guidance and events throughout the scholar’s career at Duke. In addition, the OUSF staff offers programming for all scholars to learn and engage with each other, cultivating a strong community of fellowship at Duke.

The merit scholarships cover the undergraduate cost of attendance for four years (eight semesters) of full-time study. In addition, scholars have access to funding for enrichment activities, which they may use to support a variety of experiential opportunities such as conducting research; presenting at or attending professional conferences; and participating in domestic and international learning experiences both during the summer and academic year.

“We’re so excited to welcome 48 new merit scholars to Duke’s Class of 2029,” said Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education for Intellectual Community Jenny Wood Crowley. “These students are not only academically outstanding -- they also bring curiosity, creativity, compassion and drive. They represent the best of what Duke values, and we’re thrilled they’ve chosen to begin this chapter with us.”

The incoming students include 39 domestic students from 17 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. International students hail from nine countries, including Botswana, Ethiopia and North Macedonia.

“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, these scholarships give our students the freedom and support to explore big ideas, connect deeply with communities, and grow in ways they might not have imagined,” said Wood Crowley. “It takes a whole team to make Duke a place where students can thrive. I’m grateful to our faculty directors, the OUSF team, and everyone across campus who helps make Duke a space for meaningful exploration, connection, and joy.”

For more information on scholarships at Duke, visit the Office of University Scholars and Fellows.

Duke’s Class of 2029 merit scholar recipients are:

ALUMNI ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

  • Olivea Cook of Sutherlin, Va., a graduate of Dan River High School
  • William Johnson of Ann Arbor, Mich., a graduate of Skyline High School
  • Ryan Song of Juneau, Alaska, a graduate of Juneau-Douglas High School

ANGIER B. DUKE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

  • Georgia Allaire of Lynn, Mass., a graduate of Saint Mary’s High School
  • Derek Chen of Syosset, NY, a graduate of Syosset High School
  • Carol Cui of Fayetteville, NC, a graduate of Jack Britt High School
  • Eden Cunningham of Westbury, NY, a graduate of Portledge School in Locust Valley, New York
  • Anagha Gowda of Columbia, SC, a graduate of Spring Valley High School
  • Sabina Khizroev of Miami, Fla., a graduate of Miami Palmetto Senior High School
  • Osvaldo Madera of Torrance, Calif., a graduate of the California Academy of Mathematics and Science in Carson, Calif.
  • Madison Nacinovich of Bellevue, Wash., a graduate of Bellevue Big Picture School
  • Benjamin Newman of Urbana, Ill., a graduate of University Laboratory High School
  • David Oh of Prosper, Tex., a graduate of Walnut Grove High School
  • Eden Riebling of New York, NY, a graduate of Horace Mann School
  • Abhishek Terala of Monroe Township, NJ, a graduate of Edison Academy Magnet School in Edison, New Jersey

BENJAMIN N. DUKE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

  • Anvita Anaja of Morrisville, a graduate of Panther Creek High School in Cary
  • Noah Bean of Henderson, a graduate of Vance Charter School
  • Malcolm Louigarde of Concord, a graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham
  • Elier Márquez Chávez of Magnolia, a graduate of Wallace Rose Hill High School in Teachey
  • Jacey Odero of Durham, a graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham
  • Aven Schwartz of Durham, a graduate of Charles E. Jordan High School
  • Joseph Song of Columbia, SC, a graduate of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
  • Jack Stapleton of Leesville, SC, a graduate of the South Carolina Virtual Charter School in Columbia
  • Eithar Wahab of Greensboro, a graduate of Grimsley High School
  • Lily Williams of Durham, a graduate of Charles E. Jordan High School
  • Grace Zheng of Cary, a graduate of Green Level High School

KARSH INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

  • Karam Abboud of Aleppo, Syria, a graduate of Çamlıca Anadolu High School
  • Anh Do of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, a graduate of Mahindra United World College in Pune, India
  • David John of Gaborone, Botswana, a graduate of Legae Academy High School
  • Abigael Kipkorir of Kajiado, Kenya, a graduate of Pangani Girls School
  • Peniel Madiatu of Johannesburg, South Africa, a graduate of Hyde Park High School
  • Linda Mazengia of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a graduate of the United World College of the Atlantic in Llantwit Major, Wales
  • Mihail Mircheski of Skopje, North Macedonia, a graduate of NOVA International School
  • Divine Musonza of Harare, Zimbabwe, a graduate of the United World College Dilijan College in Dilijan, Armenia
  • Kehinde Onasanya of London, England, a graduate of Harris Westminster Sixth Form

TRINITY SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Micah Chacon of Greensboro, a graduate of Walter Hines Page High School
  • Ava Hammock of Burlington, a graduate of the Burlington Christian Academy
  • Pranav Tripuraneni of High Point, a graduate of The Early College at Guilford in Greensboro

UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

  • Chance Brantley of Wilmington, a graduate of Emsley A. Laney High School
  • Mariann Burgos-Ramirez of Windermere, Fla., a graduate of Windermere Preparatory School
  • Si Jin Jenaya Cheng of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, a graduate of Marianas High School
  • Astrid Determan of Washington, D.C., a graduate of Schools Without Walls
  • David Gonzalez of Houston, a graduate of Kingwood Park High School
  • Mahmoud Idriss of Rochester, Minn., a graduate of Mayo High School
  • Kyra Myers of North Lauderdale, Fla., a graduate of Fort Lauderdale High School
  • Marwah Wesal of Cypress, Tex., a graduate of Cypress Springs High School
  • Allen Wilk of Queens, NY, a graduate of Regis High School in New York City
  • Anna Zhang of Dandridge, Tenn., a graduate of Jefferson County High School