A version of this story originally appeared on the Distinguished Student Awards Office website.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Five James Madison College students are among MSU's 12 nominees for the Marshall Scholarship, which supports approximately 50 of the most outstanding scholars in the country to study at any university in the United Kingdom. MSU has produced 20 Marshall Scholars to date.
The results of this competition will be determined in the coming months.
MSU’s nominees for the Marshall Scholarship are:
- Anastasia Breen, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in both international relations through James Madison College and theatre through the College of Arts and Letters. Breen is from Bay City, Michigan, and attended John Glenn High School.
- Isabel Buckles, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in international relations through James Madison College and German through the College of Arts and Letters. Buckles is from Northville, Michigan, and attended Troy High School in Troy, Michigan.
- Kaylin Casper, a 2026 Honors College alumna with bachelor’s degrees in sociology through the College of Social Science and humanities pre-law through the College of Arts and Letters, as well as an additional major in women’s and gender studies. Casper is from Burbank, California, and attended John Burroughs High School.
- Lily Dixon, a fourth-year Honors College students majoring in arts and humanities through the School of Residential Community-Engaged Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Letters, and public policy through the College of Social Science. Dixon is from Marquette, Michigan, and attended Marquette High School.
- Tarik Fermin, a fourth-year student majoring in international relations through James Madison College. Fermin is from Ypsilanti, Michigan, and attended Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Jerome Hamilton, a 2025 Honors College alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in political science through the College of Social Science. Hamilton is from Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.
- Lauren Jin, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in physics through the College of Natural Science. Jin is from Troy, Michigan, and attended International Academy East.
- Kevin Koch, a fourth-year student majoring in games and interactive media through the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and Spanish through the College of Arts and Letters. Koch is from Crystal Lake, Illinois, and attended Prairie Ridge High School.
- Abigail Livingston, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in environmental studies and sustainability through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and interdisciplinary social sciences through the College of Social Science. Livingston is from Louisville, Kentucky, and attended DuPont Manual High School.
- Carolina Mercado, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in professional and public writing through the College of Arts and Letters. Mercado is from Novi, Michigan, and attended Novi High School.
- Eleanor Pugh, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in international relations through James Madison College, and Russian through the College of Arts and Letters. Pugh is from Bethesda, Maryland, and attended Walt Whitman High School.
- Ashlin Stover, a fourth-year student majoring in international relations through James Madison College. Stover is from Northville, Michigan, and attended Northville High School.
The nominees represent six different colleges across campus. Nine of the 12 nominees are part of the MSU Honors College, either as current students or recent alumni.
Please contact Melanie Brender at brenderm@msu.edu for media inquiries on this story.
