Kalamazoo Times

Western Michigan University (WMU) recently honored 48 students as its top seniors for 2025 during the annual Presidential Scholars Convocation. These students, selected from a senior class of 4,349, represent various academic schools, departments, and programs across the university.

Adrienne Parreno, a Presidential Scholar in statistics, was joined by supporters including Dr. Joshua Naranjo, professor of statistics. The designation of Presidential Scholar is the highest academic honor WMU can bestow on undergraduates. Selection criteria include general academic excellence and promise in both intellectual and artistic fields.

The convocation featured a keynote address by Cecelia Chapleau, who had previously been recognized as a Presidential Scholar in political science and economics. She now works at the WMU Evaluation Center as a research assistant.

WMU President Edward Montgomery celebrated several scholars alongside Dr. Doug Lepisto, associate professor of management. President Montgomery emphasized that "receiving the Presidential Scholar award doesn’t happen by chance," attributing it to "years of persistence and discipline." He added that these scholars have set high standards supported by faculty and staff across campus.

The list of 2025 Presidential Scholars includes Ivane Mkheidze for accountancy, Sebastian Bottger for art, Andrew Maciejewski for aviation, among others representing diverse fields such as biological sciences, business information systems, chemical engineering, communication, computer science, dance, economics, engineering disciplines, English literature, environmental studies, family sciences, finance law and many more.

These honors reflect not only individual achievement but also highlight the support provided by WMU's faculty and staff. For further updates on WMU news and events visit their online portal.