This story originally appeared on the Honors College website.
Michigan State University has awarded comprehensive scholarships to two incoming first-year JMC students: Harry Cornell and Avery Riehl. They are among 50 exceptional incoming MSU students to receive full merit awards.
“These incoming students reflect Spartan excellence,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. of the university's scholarship recipients. “By investing in their futures, Michigan State is not only opening the doors for student success – we’re serving as a greater talent activator, strengthening the future of our communities, our state and our world.”
Cornell and Riehl are both recipients of MSU's inaugural Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams Scholarships, named after the university’s inaugural president and first lady. Guskiewicz announced the creation of this scholarship program in his investiture speech last September.
The scholarships cover full tuition, room and board, and a stipend for up to eight semesters of undergraduate study. They are considered some of the most competitive awards in the country.
Each awardee also receives a spot in the MSU Honors College’s Professorial Assistantship program, which provides a two-year paid research placement with a faculty member.
Harry Cornell is a graduate of East Grand Rapids High School and plans to major in Comparative Cultures and Politics at JMC. He has earned National Honor Society membership, a state runner-up title with We the People, an MSUMUN Outstanding Delegate award, and a GLIMUN honorable mention.
"I chose MSU because of the community," said Cornell. "I've grown up loving and rooting for the green and white my entire life. Moreover, James Madison College has some of the best professors in the world and provides a unique opportunity for me to combine the perks of a small school feel, with the resources of a large institution like MSU."
Avery Riehl hails from Iowa City, Iowa, and graduated from Liberty High School. She plans to major in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy while at JMC. Riehl was named an Iowa High School Press Association Emerging Journalist in 2024.
"I chose MSU because from the first time I stepped foot on campus, I knew I had a place there. MSU values every single student and gives us all a home away from home," she said.
Learn more about MSU's 2025 Alumni Distinguished, University Distinguished and Williams Scholarship recipients on the Honors College website.