Senior Sadie Boggs decided to attend college to pursue her love of teaching. An avid reader, Boggs decided to major in English education hoping to one day instill a love of reading and writing in her future students. There was just one big obstacle standing between Boggs and her own classroom: the overwhelming cost of a college education.

To put herself through school, Boggs said she was preparing to take out a considerable amount of student loans and expecting to work multiple jobs throughout school to pay them off. In an attempt to relieve some of the cost, she applied for academic scholarships, including Murray State’s Presidential Fellowship.

The Presidential Fellowship is one of the University’s most prestigious and competitive scholarships, covering the full cost of tuition, housing and dining for up to four years. Only 18 freshmen are selected each year.

High-achieving students with a minimum 28 ACT score and 3.7 GPA can compete for one of the positions in a three-round process, which includes a timed essay, a group interview and a panel interview. While Boggs said she was nervous during the interview, she was selected as one of the 2021 fellows, an opportunity that she said enriched her college experience.

“Because of the scholarship, … I was able to focus a lot more on the extracurricular and educational opportunities that came my way. After college, I’ll be able to invest in my career and family without worrying about student debt,” Boggs said. “The scholarship was a game-changer, and I’ll always be grateful for it.”

Throughout her time as a Racer, Boggs has been heavily involved with Christian student groups on campus, as well as been an officer in Alpha Mu Gamma, the national honors society for foreign languages.

David Gibson, who has worked as the Presidential Fellowship coordinator since 2010, said the fellowship allows students like Boggs to fully take advantage of campus opportunities and receive extra support.

“Presidential fellows gain a host of knowledge and abilities …The fellows program provides input on how to achieve career and life success,” Gibson said. “They get a unique friend group of other fellows who support, challenge, and sharpen each other. … Fellows can take their achievement to a higher level because they have reduced financial burdens and extra support from mentors and counselors. “

Jessica Naber, executive director of the Honors College, has been overseeing the program for one year after former director Warren Edminister retired from the position in 2024. Naber came to the role with a deep understanding of what the program can do for students; Naber was chosen as a presidential fellow (formally called presidential scholar) in 1997. She credits the fellowship program with setting her on a path of success which has led her to where she is today.

“I learned about accountability in my seminars that prepared me well for graduate school and life in general,” Naber said. “…I also was able to participate in and conduct research, which prepared me for graduate school and future nursing research. I feel like a lot of what I have done in my career at Murray State has been related in some way to my experiences as a presidential scholar.”

Naber studied abroad during her time as a presidential scholar, which exposed her to different cultures and connected her with students from all over the world. Since then, she has led study abroad programs to Hungary, Italy and Greece.

“This experience in college really started that trajectory for me,” Naber said. 

Once a student is accepted into the program, there are several standards they must meet to retain eligibility, including maintaining a 3.2 GPA and participating in the Honors College. The Honor College requires students to study abroad and take honors seminars, classes designed to offer smaller class sizes, more challenging engagement and increased intellectual discussions. Each component of the program is designed to keep students high-achieving and engaged with the Murray State community.

“I think the presidential fellows program is important because it creates a close-knit family for some of Murray State’s most talented students,” Naber said. “The program encourages them to be successful at MSU and beyond.”

A main part of the fellowship is completing a research project under the supervision of a research adviser. Students can pick advisers in any discipline related to their major to guide them through the process. Fellows are required to complete five hours of research every week.

“I was very nervous about doing research when I first became a presidential fellow; I’ve never loved researching, and I didn’t know what it would look like in college. But I had guidance from the beginning,” Boggs said. “…I easily connected with Dr. (Danielle) Nielsen, an English professor, who became my research mentor. I’ve switched topics a few times and finally wrote my thesis last semester on ‘Cultural Memory and the Search for Identity in Victorian Fantasy Fiction,’ an 80-page beast that I couldn’t have imagined writing when I first got the scholarship.”

Emily Haner, senior wildlife and conservation biology major, was also named a presidential fellow in 2021. Her research is under Dr. Howard Whiteman in the Biological Sciences Department and involves testing an identification technique called passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging on local Fowler’s toads. Haner said her research has been one of the best parts of her college career.

“I am passionate about my project and field of study,” Haner said. “My project has implications for an endangered toad species in the western United States. It’s exciting that I can do something to help the endangered Boreal Toad while researching at Murray State. I have learned how to write better, how to share scientific data with the general public, how to present my research, design a research poster, design a study, analyze data, and more. Research has meant so much to me.”

Gibson said fellows have completed important research across multiple disciplines. He said some notable projects have included teaching music to improve child literacy, monitoring rates of drug use and COVID infections by testing water from interstate rest areas, teaching pre-service agricultural education students to learn how to work with middle school special education students and researching ways to improve human health through experiments with animal genetics.

A completed research project at the undergraduate level can help students have a better chance at graduate school admission and scholarships. It also gives them a better understanding of a specialized discipline in their field.

For Boggs, the opportunities and support she’s gotten in the fellowship has been invaluable.

“The fellowship is important because it provides a way for bright minds and leaders to attend college, and to focus on building vital skills, characteristics, and experiences in college. I’ve made connections with professors and amazing peers who will soon be leaders in the workforce,” Boggs said. “I’ve also gotten to invest fully in leadership opportunities on campus, which boosted my confidence, skills, and resume, and also allowed me to build up my community. This will impact the rest of my life, as I keep benefitting from those things in my career, without worrying about student debt.”

Murray State recently held the final interview round for the 2025 presidential fellows. Soon, 18 new students will be offered the chance to join the program that changed Boggs’s life.