Above image: BHSC senior Clara Nikkel (front row, fourth from left) with her fellow Coolidge Scholarship finalists.
Clara Nikkel, a Batesville High School Charter senior, was recently named a finalist for the highly competitive Coolidge Scholarship.
The Coolidge Scholarship, sponsored by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, offers a small number of full-ride merit scholarships, covering tuition, room and board, books, and fees for four years of study at any accredited college or university in the United States based on academic merit and demonstrations of humility and service.
This year, more than 4,100 students applied for consideration, and Nikkel was among the 12 finalists invited to the Calvin Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth, Vt., for finalist interviews in May. She was also invited to participate in the Coolidge Senator Summit during the summer, an invitation extended to the 12 finalists and the next 88 highest ranked applicants.
At the summit, the Coolidge Senators were able to network with each other and attend seminars led by national scholars in the fields of leadership, education, natural disasters, and economy.
Nikkel was the first student from Arkansas to be named a finalist, the only 2023 Coolidge Senator from Arkansas, and just the third Coolidge Senator from the state since the program’s inception.
Images and information provided by Batesville School District
