Seniors recognized for academic achievement as 2025 Presidential Scholars

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Forty-eight students were recognized as Western Michigan University's top seniors for 2025 during the annual Presidential Scholars Convocation.

Each year, faculty members from across the University select the most outstanding senior in their nearly 50 academic schools, departments and programs to represent their unit as a WMU Presidential Scholar.

This year, scholars were chosen from a total senior class of 4,349 students.

The Presidential Scholar designation is the highest academic honor that Western can bestow on its undergraduates. Selection is based on a student's general academic excellence, academic and artistic excellence relative to their majors, and intellectual and artistic promise.

The 2025 Presidential Scholars Convocation, which was by invitation only, featured a keynote address by Cecelia Chapleau, B.A.’24, who was the 2024 Presidential Scholar in political science and the 2023 Presidential Scholar in economics. Chapleau was selected for this prestigious honor twice when reaching senior-level status for each of her majors. She currently works at the WMU Evaluation Center as a research assistant.

WMU President Edward Montgomery and Dr. Sarah Summy, Faculty Senate immediate past president, also spoke at the March 14 event.

“Receiving the Presidential Scholar award doesn’t happen by chance,” says President Montgomery. “It is the result of years of persistence and discipline in pursuit of academic excellence. These scholars have set high standards for themselves, and their hard work has been supported by WMU faculty and staff campuswide. We are incredibly proud to celebrate this year’s Presidential Scholars.”

2025 Presidential Scholars

• Accountancy—Ivane Mkheidze of Kalamazoo

• Art—Sebastian Bottger of Sturgis, Michigan

• Aviation—Andrew Maciejewski of Hudsonville, Michigan

• Biological sciences —Andrew Kaczmar of Kalamazoo

• Business information systems—Asmina Sainju of Nepal

• Chemical and paper engineering—Emma Perrin of Howell, Michigan

• Chemistry—Sara Bussey of Kalamazoo

• Civil and construction engineering—Keila Howard of Kalamazoo

• Communication—Olivia Munoz of Alto, Michigan

• Computer science—Christian Zehner of Kalamazoo

• Dance—Katie Hatfield of Goshen, New York

• Economics—Shanice Tan of Kalamazoo

• Electrical and computer engineering—Ladd Carpenter of Kalamazoo

• Engineering design, manufacturing and management systems—Tyler Flynn of Eagle, Michigan

• English—Kayla Lambert of Kalamazoo

• Environment, geography and sustainability—Joseph Payne of Woodbridge, Illinois

• Family and consumer sciences—Gabriella Ford of Portage, Michigan

• Finance and commercial law—Parker Dayton of Oxford, Michigan

• Geological and environmental sciences—Luke Singer of Kalamazoo

• History—Cassandra Kipp of Kalamazoo

• Industrial and entrepreneurial engineering and engineering management—Mila Mitovski of Chesterfield, Michigan

• Intercultural and anthropological studies—Jacob Enos of Kalamazoo

• Interdisciplinary health programs—Jensen Gremillion of Plaucheville, Louisiana

• Management—Lauren Woodside of Kalamazoo

• Marketing—Aidan Paciorek of Kalamazoo

• Mathematics—Ethan Freel of Grand Blanc, Michigan

• Mechanical and aerospace engineering—Juan Miguel Sanchez Flores of Kalamazoo

• Music—Elijah Cosby of Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Nursing—Megan Wright of Battle Creek, Michigan

• Occupational therapy—Emma Winckler of Kalamazoo

• Philosophy—Elizabeth Jervis of Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Physics—Olivia Seitz of Clawson, Michigan

• Political science—Jazmin Moron of Watervliet, Michigan

• Psychology—Tracie Crenshaw of Benton Harbor, Michigan

• Public affairs and administration—Isabel Pratt of Fort Wayne, Texas

• Richmond Institute for Design Innovation—Malia Hunt of Grass Lake, Michigan

• Social work—Anne Hensley of Kalamazoo

• Sociology—Eliana LaRocca of Flint, Michigan

• Spanish—Nic Buccilli of Kalamazoo

• Special education and literacy studies—Annie Gross of Lake Zurich, Illinois

• Speech, language and hearing sciences—Emily Lulofs of Twin Lake, Michigan

• Statistics—Adrienne Parreno of Kalamazoo

• Supply chain management—Griffin Fill of White Lake, Michigan

• Teaching, learning and educational studies—Kaitlyn Bethel of Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Theatre—Jayme Dills of Traverse City, Michigan

• University studies—Vincent Kucway of Macomb, Michigan

• World languages and literatures—Hailey Baskin of Stevensville, Michigan

• World religions and cultures—Ian Russel of Portage, Michigan

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.