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News from The Mahurin Honors College

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Displaying Articles for Category: Alumni Spotlight  (view all categories)

Obadiah Kirk Spotlight
Obadiah Kirk Spotlight

Feb 17th, 2022

The Mahurin Honors College (MHC) strives to provide the greatest opportunities and resources for all of our scholars. While most enter the MHC following their senior year of high school, that was not the case for Obadiah Kirk (MHC ‘20)

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Ena Viteskic Demir Spotlight
Ena Viteskic Demir Spotlight

Feb 8th, 2022

Our Mahurin Honors College (MHC) Scholars come from a vast array of backgrounds and each one has a beautiful, unique story to tell. For Ena Viteskic Demir (MHC ‘09), her story began over 5,000 miles away in her native homeland of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Chad Coomer Spotlight
Chad Coomer Spotlight

Jan 25th, 2022

While Mahurin Honors College (MHC) scholars study a broad scope of subjects, some such as Chad Coomer (MHC ‘14) have found their home in the STEM field.

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Hannah Pennington Spotlight
Hannah Pennington Spotlight

Jan 25th, 2022

The Mahurin Honors College (MHC) believes that research provides hands-on experience for scholars to immerse themselves in their academic passions.

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Anna Buri Spotlight
Anna Buri Spotlight

Nov 1st, 2021

Equipped with a major in Legal Studies and English, Mahurin Honors Scholar Anna Buri (MHC ‘19) is currently tackling law school at the College of William and Mary.

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Allie Surina Spotlight
Allie Surina Spotlight

Nov 1st, 2021

The Mahurin Honors College (MHC) has been cultivating growth in scholars for many years and some graduates have conquered their ascent and started to reach excellence in their professional careers. One such scholar is Allie Surina (MHC ‘12)

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Zack Van Zant Spotlight
Zack Van Zant Spotlight

Nov 1st, 2021

Many Mahurin Honors College (MHC) scholars strive to combine their skills with their passion for serving others, and Zack Van Zant (MHC ‘15) has certainly accomplished that.

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Jocelyn Porter Spotlight
Jocelyn Porter Spotlight

Oct 10th, 2021

Jocelyn Porter’s (MHC ‘18) path took an unexpected, but pleasant turn when she was studying abroad in Denmark: “I thought I was going to do broadcast journalism.

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Thomas Deaton Spotlight
Thomas Deaton Spotlight

Oct 9th, 2021

Thomas Deaton (MHC ‘19), while studying English and Environmental Studies, “made it part of his daily routine to be as involved as possible in both the Honors College and broader WKU communities.”

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Ally Taylor Spotlight
Ally Taylor Spotlight

Oct 9th, 2021

Ally Taylor (MHC ‘20) embodies the spirit of WKU and in 2020, she was selected as Homecoming Queen. While studying accounting, Ally served The Mahurin Honors College (MHC)and WKU in many areas.

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Solid Ground for Next Steps – Audrey Clark and the Path to Duke University’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program

Oct 30th, 2025

Audrey Clark, a 2025 WKU grad, is pursuing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Duke. Her path from dance to PT reflects curiosity, early involvement, and hands-on learning that shaped her success.

Homecoming Highlight: Dana Brown’s Honors Story

Oct 27th, 2025

Honors alum Dana Brown found her calling at WKU, turning her passion for athletics into a career with Louisville Athletics. Once a Hilltopper, always a Hilltopper!

Hailey Stapleton: Finding Voice, Community, and a Vocation Through Art and International Affairs

Jun 30th, 2025

Hailey Stapleton (WKU ’25) blended art and international affairs to find her calling in art repatriation, inspired by study abroad and her passion for justice.

The Power of Persistence: MJ's Success in the Chinese Flagship Program

Aug 19th, 2024

Maria Julian (WKU '24) earned a $25,000 Boren Scholarship for her capstone in Southeast Asia. Despite no prior Chinese language experience, she thrived in WKU's Chinese Flagship Program, crediting faculty support and immersive experiences for her success.

From Immigrant to Academic Achiever: Manzar Rzayeva's Story of Dreams and Determination

Jun 3rd, 2024

Manzar Rzayeva, a two-time WKU graduate, shares her Hilltopper experience, including not being selected as a Fulbright scholar twice, her resilience and passion for education drive her pursuit of becoming a doctor and achieving her dreams.

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Kentucky Roots, British Adventures: A Tale of Embracing Change Across Oceans

Mar 25th, 2024

Brittany Moster Bergonzi, PhD, shares her transformative journey from Kentucky to the United Kingdom, sparked by a fateful encounter with a brochure from Harlaxton College. Her story reflects the power of curiosity, resilience, and seizing opportunities.

Elaine Flynn Spotlight

Apr 25th, 2022

The Mahurin Honors College (MHC) seeks to develop scholars into masters of their passions- whatever those may be. For scholars like Elaine Flynn (MHC ‘13), her passion could only be found in a geology research lab.

Jayme Hardy Spotlight

Apr 22nd, 2022

A key pillar of the Mahurin Honors College (MHC) is training scholars for success within their unique and diverse passions. In some cases, this allows scholars like Jayme Hardy (MHC ‘14) to trailblaze brand new opportunities and forge novel career path

Ameerah Palacios Spotlight

Feb 25th, 2022

As the saying goes: ”home is where the heart is,” and many Mahurin Honors College (MHC) scholars such as Ameerah Palacios (MHC ‘05) have set their heart atop the great hill of WKU.

Obadiah Kirk Spotlight

Feb 17th, 2022

The Mahurin Honors College (MHC) strives to provide the greatest opportunities and resources for all of our scholars. While most enter the MHC following their senior year of high school, that was not the case for Obadiah Kirk (MHC ‘20)

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 Last Modified 10/12/22