Center welcomes McConnell Scholars Class of 2029
By Natalie Tracy
Louisville, Ky. (Aug. 8, 2025)—The McConnell Center welcomes nine new students to the McConnell Scholars Program, one of the state's most prestigious undergraduate scholarship programs.
This year's freshman class marks the 34th in the McConnell Center's history and is part of the University of Louisville's class of 2029.
The newest McConnell Scholars are:
- Anna Bocook (Paul G. Blazer High School, Boyd County)
- Christian Dempsey (Owen County High School, Owen County)
- Ezra Foote (Calloway County High School, Calloway County)
- Chealsea Gachagua (Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science/Madison Central High School, Madison County)
- Honette Irakiza (South Warren High School, Warren County)
- Kruthi Mangamur thiyagarajan (duPont Manual High School, Jefferson County)
- Eileen Thacker (St. Albertus Magnus Homeschool Academy, Clark County)
- Emma White (Notre Dame Academy, Kenton County)
- Landon Williams (Pike County Central High School, Floyd County)
Since its founding in 1991, the McConnell Center has awarded over $5.7 million in scholarships to more than 250 McConnell Scholars. In addition, the Center supports professional military education for hundreds of U.S. Army officers and offers impactful civic education programs for K-12 educators and students across the Commonwealth.
The Center’s public programming—including its Distinguished Speaker Series, publications, conferences, and podcasts—has earned national acclaim and has been recognized as “an oasis of excellence” in American higher education by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
Applications for the McConnell Scholars Class of 2030 will be due on Dec. 1, 2025. Visit our website for more information about the McConnell Scholars Program and to access the application.