Owensboro Innovation Academy senior Michael Gray was recently awarded the prestigious Murray State University Presidential Fellowship. During their time at Murray State, recipients of the fellowship are responsible for conducting extensive research projects and serving as leaders in the campus community.
Gray is the second student from Owensboro Public Schools to receive this fellowship. His sister Katie, a former OIA student, was presented with the award in 2021. The fellowship includes full tuition, housing and meals for up to four years.
Students selected for the fellowship complete a rigorous multi-step application process that includes multiple in-person interviews. Once on campus, recipients are part of the University’s Honors College, a community within Murray State that offers a unique honors curriculum, critical-thinking seminars, and specialized programs and activities.
“Our presidential fellows are all outstanding academic achievers, but they are also selected based on their demonstrated leadership potential and involvement in their communities,” said Dr. Warren Edminster, executive director of the Honors College. “Presidential fellows engage in undergraduate research under the guidance of a faculty mentor and frequently publish their work before leaving Murray State. Besides excelling in research, presidential fellows invariably take leadership roles in student groups, ranging from the Student Government Association to Greek organizations.”
Incoming first-year students who have a 28 ACT composite score minimum (or 1250 SAT verbal and math combined score minimum), along with a 3.7 GPA on 4.0 scale, are eligible to apply for the Presidential Fellowship scholarship.
For more information on the University’s Honors College, visit murraystate.edu/honors.
