Forty Acres Scholars Program Class of 2029 Finalists
Posted February 13, 2025
The Forty Acres Scholars Program is proud to announce the 65 finalists for the Class of 2029. Admissions invited around 1,250 students to apply. Out of the 950 applications received, 153 semifinalists were chosen to advance to a video interview.
This year’s finalists come from seven U.S. states and have been admitted to eleven different schools and colleges across the University. Many of them participate in nationally recognized organizations and competitions such as DECA and UIL. Many are also valedictorians, athletes, team captains, musicians, and student body presidents. Some are founders of nonprofits, school organizations, and online platforms; published authors; business owners; and researchers. They spend their time participating in countless hours of community service, leading clubs and organizations in their schools, and interning across the nation.
From February 27 to March 1, 2025, 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 tuition, a living stipend, a book stipend, an enrichment stipend, and program activities.
Meet the finalists:
Aditi Ashok
Cumming, GA
SOUTH FORSYTH HIGH SCHOOL
Isabelle Grace Bradshaw Ballard
New York, NY
AVENUES NEW YORK
Muna Baraso
Garland, TX
NORTH GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL
Weston Benner
Houston, TX
BELLAIRE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Catherine Biard
Paris, TX
PARIS HIGH SCHOOL
Claire Bradford
Missouri City, TX
BELLAIRE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Isabella Brenner
McAllen, TX
MCALLEN MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
Donovan Burke
Willis, TX
THE WOODLANDS COLLEGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Emmanuel Caracheo
Laredo, TX
UNITED HIGH SCHOOL
Bella Chramosta
Houston, TX
EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL
Anagha Deepak
Cedar Park, TX
ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL
Sienna Dierkes
Frisco, TX
FRISCO HIGH SCHOOL
Ella Dillinger
Boerne, TX
GENEVA SCHOOL OF BOERNE
Emilie Efendy
Sugar Land, TX
WILLIAM P. CLEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL
Elizabeth Falvo
San Antonio, TX
ALAMO HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL
Michael Gearing
Georgetown, TX
VISTA RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
Sean Gelman
Marlboro, NJ
MARLBORO HIGH SCHOOL
Caden George
Fort Worth, TX
TRINITY VALLEY SCHOOL
David Gonzalez
Kingwood, TX
KINGWOOD PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Mitul Gouni
Allen, TX
ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL
Makenzie Griffith
Aubrey, TX
RAY BRASWELL HIGH SCHOOL
Daniel Guo
Katy, TX
STRAKE JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY
Anika Harpavat
Bellaire, TX
ST. AGNES ACADEMY
Abby Haydon
Frisco, TX
CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL
Sarah Holmes
Dallas, TX
HOCKADAY SCHOOL
Carlos Hsieh
El Paso, TX
CORONADO HIGH SCHOOL
Romir Jain
Austin, TX
WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Siyona Jain
Austin, TX
WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Shivani Jayaraj
Frisco, TX
INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Annabelle Judson
Austin, TX
ST. MICHAEL’S PREPARATORY
Alyssa Kang
Little Neck, NY
STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL
Milo Kaplan
Denton, TX
DENTON HIGH SCHOOL
Karys Karlow
Plano, TX
TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Terry Kim
Tyler, TX
BROOK HILL SCHOOL
Hayden Kramer
Bellaire, TX
ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL
Brooke Kupferberg
North Caldwell, NJ
WEST ESSEX SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Oluwatomi Lagbaja
Springfield, VA
IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
London Lee
McKinney, TX
MCKINNEY BOYD HIGH SCHOOL
Crystal Liu
Beaumont, TX
WEST BROOK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Michelle Lu
Addison, TX
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MAGNET
Anisha Mandem
Prosper, TX
PROSPER HIGH SCHOOL
Ellison Martin
Austin, TX
ANN RICHARDS SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS
Sanam Mehta
Syosset, NY
SYOSSET HIGH SCHOOL
Gabriel Melo
Georgetown, TX
ROUSE HIGH SCHOOL
Jawaad Merali
Pflugerville, TX
HENDRICKSON HIGH SCHOOL
Nishita Nekkanti
Little Elm, TX
PANTHER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
Iris Nicholson
Austin, TX
ANN RICHARDS SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS
Paari Palani
Allen, TX
LOVEJOY HIGH SCHOOL
Anna Parker
Houston, TX
KINDER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS
Justin Pollack
Irvine, CA
UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
Siri Ramineni
Katy, TX
SEVEN LAKES HIGH SCHOOL
Mateo Ramirez-Valentin
Houston, TX
ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL
Miller Roberts
Austin, TX
WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL
Jerry Trey Rolston
Midland, TX
LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL
Annika Sawant
Carrollton, TX
HEBRON HIGH SCHOOL
Caroline Scott
Dallas, TX
HIGHLAND PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Aryan Shah
Houston, TX
THE VILLAGE SCHOOL
Annika Singh
Austin, TX
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL
Harun Syed
Austin, TX
MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL
Mia Wang
The Woodlands, TX
THE WOODLANDS COLLEGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL
Mischa Wijesekera
Houston, TX
MIRABEAU B. LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL
Robert Lawson Woodward
Cedar Park, TX
VISTA RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
Nolan Yee
Katy, TX
JAMES E. TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL
Tiffany Zhang
Katy, TX
THE KINKAID SCHOOL
Caroline Zhou
Rockville, MD
RICHARD MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL
