Bencomo earns McConnell scholarship to the University of Louisville

Frank Bencomo, of Louisville, Ky., is one of ten awarded a McConnell Scholarship to the University of Louisville this year.

Bencomo is a 2014 graduate of Atherton High School, where he served as president of the school’s National Honors Society and was a member of the Beta and marine biology clubs. He was very involved with the Louisville Zoo, where he was a volunteer, a member of its youth board and was appointed as the Arctic Ambassador to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Bencomo has received the Churchill Scholar awards for academic excellence and overcoming adversity, in addition to the Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony award for commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues. He was very active in sports, having been a member of the varsity track and cross-country teams. Bencomo also was a 2013 Kentucky Governor’s Scholar.

Only ten graduating seniors from across Kentucky have been named McConnell Scholars this year. “This is a very accomplished class of Kentucky students,” said Dr. Gary Gregg, director of the McConnell Center. “We are very excited about the quality of young leaders who will be joining us next year and are optimistic about what it says for the future of our Commonwealth.”

The McConnell Scholarship guarantees a full tuition scholarship to UofL and allows students to meet today’s most influential leaders, interact with national experts, take part in small group leadership seminars, intern in Washington, D.C., and study abroad in the People’s Republic of China. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, together with the University of Louisville, founded the nonpartisan scholarship program in 1991 to benefit Kentucky’s best and brightest students.

In its first 23 years, the Center has given more than $3 million in scholarship money to more than 200 students, mentored them to compete for elite national graduate scholarships, and helped them travel the world.

As McConnell Scholars, Bencomo and his classmates will travel across the Commonwealth and the nation as they explore American history, develop their leadership skills and prepare for a lifetime of service. Bencomo and his classmates will visit China the summer following their junior year for an extended summer study and cultural immersion.

“It is a great honor to be chosen as a McConnell Scholar,” said Gregg. “We know Frank will be successful at the University of Louisville and in providing leadership to our Commonwealth in the years ahead.”