The Forty Acres Scholars Program is proud to announce the 64 Finalists for the Class of 2027. Finalists were selected from 147 semifinalists who were chosen to advance to a video interview.
This year’s finalists come from seven U.S. states and have been admitted to 11 different schools and colleges across the university. Many of them participate in nationally recognized organizations and competitions such as DECA and UIL events. Many are also authors, athletes, team captains, researchers, coders, and student council executives. Some are founders of nonprofits, school organizations, and business owners. Their time has been spent participating in countless hours of community service, leading clubs and organizations in their schools, and interning across the nation.
From March 2–4, 2023, these exceptional high school students will join us on campus to participate in Finalist Weekend. Activities will include visits to their admitted colleges, a mock class with a UT professor, campus and college tours, panels with current Forty Acres Scholars, optional daily activities, and an individual interview.
The Forty Acres Scholars Program inspires and nurtures visionary leaders and helps them use their talents to benefit society. Our scholars demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a track record of outstanding academic success. Most importantly, they have passion and a desire to live out the core values of The University of Texas at Austin. The three tenets of the program are community, connection, and discovery. The program is a transformational adventure that helps individuals reach their full potential, and, alongside academic achievement, focuses on personal development, relationship building, and gaining perspective. As the only program of its kind administered by an alumni association, Forty Acres Scholars develop a unique relationship with their alma mater and graduate with an extraordinary network of Longhorns standing behind them.
Scholarship funding provides for tuition, a living stipend, a book stipend, an enrichment stipend, and program activities.
Meet the finalists:
Amoli Agarwal
Westwood High School
Austin, Texas
Jasmine Benau
Mayde Creek High School
Houston, Texas
Jazlynna Bergeron
Gainesville High School
Valley View, Texas
John Thomas Borowitz
Texas High School
Texarkana, Texas
Mateo Casanova
Woodlands High School
Spring, Texas
Ana Cecilia Catillo Galindo
Tomball High School
Tomball, Texas
Rohan Chaudhry
Half Hollow Hills High School West
Dix Hills, New York
Iris Cheng
Seven Lakes High School
Katy, Texas
Maria Pamela Chow Lomeli
Tomball High School
Spring, Texas
Layla Crear
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Houston, Texas
Matthew Creixell
Cistercian Preparatory School
Dallas, Texas
Kiera Dixon
Round Rock Christian Academy
Round Rock, Texas
Ella Folh
George Ranch High School
Sugar Land, Texas
Sofia Furbeck
Keller High School
Keller, Texas
Marco Gonzales
Dickinson High School
Dickinson, Texas
Nidhi Gosalia
Livingston High School
Livingston, New Jersey
Macy Gregory
Memorial Senior High School
Houston, Texas
Sonika Harish
Lewisville High School
Lewisville, Texas
Kelsey Head
Billy C Ryan High School
Denton, Texas
Jenna Hinz
Clear Lake High School
Houston, Texas
Benjamin Howell
South Cobb High School
Mableton, Georgia
Olivia Jacoby
Carroll Senior High School
Southlake, Texas
Lavik Jain
Centennial High School
Frisco, Texas
Jaylen Jamaal Waithe
Battlefield High School
Gainesville, Virginia
Ellie Jiang
Arnold O Beckman High School
Irvine, California
Karla Jimenez
Los Fresnos High School
Brownsville, Texas
Kripa Kannan
Plano East Senior High School
Murphy, Texas
Hadia Khatri
Plano West Senior High School
Plano, Texas
Akaash Kolluri
William P Clements High School
Sugar Land, Texas
Erick Lara Barrientos
Lockhart High School
Dale, Texas
Kyler Larsen
A&M Consolidated High School
College Station, Texas
Jared Levy
Abraham Joshua Heschel School
New York, New York
Estefania Lopez-Salas
Episcopal High School
Houston, Texas
Tina Luo
Flower Mound High School
Flower Mound, Texas
Marco Ma
William P Clements High School
Sugar Land, Texas
Rohan Mahendru
Mirabeau B Lamar Senior High School
Houston, Texas
Palmer Mann
Trinity School of Texas
Longview, Texas
Giancarlo Massimo
Seven Lakes High School
Katy, Texas
Kennon McNew
Robinson High School
Robinson, Texas
Eleanor McWilliams
Stratford High School
Houston, Texas
Alyssia Menezes
Lincoln High School
Portland, Oregon
Carolina Meza
Veterans Memorial High School
Brownsville, Texas
Camila Moreno Juarez
McAllen Memorial High School
Hidalgo, Texas
Grace Ogden
Saint Mary's Hall
San Antonio, Texas
Jesutofunmi Oluwaleke
Alief Taylor High School
Richmond, Texas
David Onadeko
Garland High School
Garland, Texas
Reed Paltrow
Paul D Schreiber Senior High School
Sands Point, New York
Akash Pradeep
Liberty High School
Plano, Texas
Bailey Raymond
Saint Agnes Academy
Bellaire, Texas
Julia Reyes
Douglas MacArthur High School
San Antonio, Texas
Daniela Rincon Colon
Seven Lakes High School
Katy, Texas
Georgia Rocap
Lubbock High School
Lubbock, Texas
Alexis Rollings
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth, Texas
Akshaya Sakala
Camas High School
Camas, Washington
Lydia Taylor
Village Tech School
Cedar Hill, Texas
Abigail Tomaski
Memorial Senior High School
Houston, Texas
Braiden Touchette
Travis-Early College High School
San Antonio, Texas
Laylah Votion
Young Women’s Leadership Academy
San Antonio, Texas
Peyton Wartell
Parish Episcopal School
Dallas, Texas
Valerie Xu
Greenhill School
Dallas, Texas
Andres Yengle
The Post Oak School
Houston, Texas
Zoe Yu
The Woodlands College Park High School
Conroe, Texas
David Zaha
School of Science and Engineering at
Yvonne A Ewell Townview Magnet Center
Dallas, Texas
Katherine Zhang
Kinkaid School
Houston, Texas