Program Mission

The mission of the Scholars Program is to identify and support Wake Forest students who engage their community, cultivate intentional personal and intellectual development, broaden their minds with academic research, explore the world, make intentional career decisions, and lead lives that matter—all rooted in the spirit of Pro Humanitate.

Our mission and our responsibility are to encourage excellence that can lead to great opportunities while at Wake Forest—and beyond. This Program represents the continued emphasis that Wake Forest places on cultivating the intellectual and academic development of its students and how they engage with the wider world.

The Wake Forest Scholars Program identifies and promotes high academic and civic achievement among undergraduate students in the College. We support those seeking competitive external scholarship opportunities and work closely with the Magnolia and Signature Scholars to ensure that they succeed and flourish in their time on campus. 

Welcome to our corner of Wake Forest University, where campus is brimming with opportunities for those students who are interested in fully developing their intellectual capabilities and sharing their talents with their community (up to and including the entire world!). Students here will develop close relationships with their faculty mentors, participate in important research on campus, and may even end up designing and conducting research of their own before graduation. Still, others will find exciting ways to expand their growth beyond the bounds of campus—and the Scholars Program is here to support them on their scholarly journey (if this sounds like something you’re interested in, check out our Awards page to learn more about the fellowships that Wake students frequently pursue). 

The Scholars Office also works closely with the First in the Forest students and Signature Scholars, two groups of bright and driven young Scholars that the University has seen fit to support in special ways. Dr. Nate French (Executive Director for First in the Forest) and I engage regularly with these students to help them make the most of their time at Wake. You can learn more about the Magnolia and Signature Scholars by visiting their pages.

Your time at Wake will be full of incredible experiences, and we’re here to help you find and make the most of them. Take a moment to explore our website to see the range of opportunities that exist. Determine which you are most interested in and may be best suited for—and then come see us to talk about them!

To your success,

Jackie Sheridan
Director of the Wake Forest Scholars Program