The 2025-2026 academic year is coming to a close, and the Stamps Scholars Program is proud to recognize the 292 Stamps Scholars graduating this spring from 36 partner institutions across the country.
Selected for their leadership, academic excellence, character, and potential to make a meaningful impact, these graduates join a growing network of Stamps alumni leading and serving in communities around the world. With the addition of the Class of 2026, the Stamps alumni network now totals 3,088 alumni.
The Stamps Scholarship was created by E. Roe Stamps and his late wife Penny with the intent of providing students with the freedom and resources to pursue their ambitions, wherever those ambitions may lead. For the Class of 2026, that includes a broad range of next steps: medical school, law school, PhD programs, competitive fellowships, research opportunities, entrepreneurship, and careers across a wide range of industries.
Among graduates who responded to this year’s survey, roughly half reported plans to pursue advanced degrees, with students continuing their education at institutions including Duke University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and Stanford University, among others.
Other graduates are launching careers across consulting, finance, engineering, healthcare, scientific research, public service, media, education, and military leadership, joining organizations such as Bain & Company, Boeing, Capital One, McKinsey & Company, Peace Corps, SpaceX, Teach For America, and branches of the United States Armed Forces. At least eight graduating Scholars also shared plans to dedicate themselves to companies they founded.
Members of this graduating class have also earned some of the nation’s most competitive academic honors, including four Rhodes Scholarship recipients, two Marshall Scholarship recipients, one Churchill Scholarship recipient, one Schwarzman Scholarship recipient, six Harry S. Truman Scholarship recipients, and eleven Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipients.
Many of these outcomes were shaped by enrichment experiences made possible through the Stamps Scholars Program. Throughout college, Scholars used enrichment funds to conduct research abroad, pursue internships, attend conferences, launch ventures, and explore independent projects aligned with their goals.
“The scholarship gave me the funding and leverage to publish my own research,” said Priyanshu Alluri (Dartmouth College), a Goldwater Scholar, Marshall Scholar, Churchill Scholar, and Rhodes finalist. “That initial paper allowed me to get research positions and dedicated projects in other labs, which let me publish multiple times. Those publications are what directly led to my success in fellowship applications, as well as in my MD/PhD application.” Following graduation, Priyanshu will complete a one-year master’s program at University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar before pursuing an MD/PhD at University of Pennsylvania.
Many also participated in cross-campus experiences such as the 2025 Norway leadership expedition, Outward Bound excursions sailing through the Florida Keys and backpacking through Costa Rica, and collaborative events hosted by partner institutions across the country. Over the past four years, students gathered for research symposia, leadership retreats, and networking opportunities hosted by Dartmouth College, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, The Ohio State University, University of Georgia, University of Miami, University of Oregon, University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest University.
In their graduation reflections, many Scholars described the relationships they built through the Stamps network as one of the most meaningful aspects of their experience. Graduates shared stories of receiving mentorship from alumni during job searches, connecting with past fellowship recipients for application advice, using the Stamps summer plans map to meet peers in cities across the globe, and forming friendships at conferences that have lasted for years.
For some graduates, those connections directly shaped their career paths. “The enrichment fund combined with the global Stamps network allowed me to expand my perspective,” said Amanda Ehrenhalt (Georgia Tech). “Specifically, my experience working for a Stamps alumnus (Nick Selby, Georgia Tech ‘16) in Kenya installing and supporting clean electricity access throughout Sub-Saharan Africa entirely shaped my direction and drive into my early career.”
Others pointed to formal programming as a meaningful source of support, from fellowship panels that connected Scholars with Rhodes Scholarship recipients and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program winners, to pre-law and medical school panels that helped younger Scholars navigate competitive application processes.
“I attended the Stamps alumni panel for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program before applying, which was extremely helpful,” said Audrey Kay (University of Chicago). “I just received the award!”
While their paths after graduation vary widely, many members of the Class of 2026 also reflected on the profound personal and financial impact of the scholarship itself. Graduating debt-free allowed many to pursue graduate school, public service work, entrepreneurship, and research opportunities that may have otherwise felt financially out of reach.
Others described the scholarship’s impact on their families – easing financial burdens, creating opportunities for siblings, and opening doors their parents never had access to.
“The Stamps Scholarship was truly a breakthrough moment for me,” said Matthew Clarke (Barry University). “It didn’t just change my life- it changed what I believed was possible for myself. For my family, it was a source of immense pride, knowing that the sacrifices they made had led to something like this. The scholarship gave me the space to not just pursue a degree, but to dream bigger than I ever had before and actually begin chasing those dreams.”
For many, the Stamps Scholarship was not simply a financial award, but rather a launchpad for possibility. As these graduates transition into alumnihood, many members of the Class of 2026 may soon find themselves offering the same mentorship, guidance, and encouragement that helped shape their own journeys, with approximately 415 new Scholars entering the program during the 2026-2027 academic year. As they begin this next chapter, we look forward to following the journeys of the Class of 2026 in the years ahead.