$240,000 Jefferson Scholarship goes to Olathe Northwest grad

An Olathe Northwest High School graduate has earned one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country.

Ashwanth Samuel, 18, has been awarded a Jefferson Scholarship, a merit scholarship named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson, the founder of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.

The scholarship, valued at $240,000, will cover the cost of his attendance at the University of Virginia for four years plus additional supplemental enrichment experiences such as studying abroad. He will also receive a $56,000 stipend for fees, books, room and board and personal expenses.

“It’s such a cool opportunity,” said Ashwanth, who graduated May 17. “I’m very honored and excited.”

“He’s done very well for himself,” said Prem Samuel, Ashwanth’s father, a cardiologist with HCA Midwest Health. “I don’t think that many people in this area are aware of this scholarship opportunity, so I hope his award helps spread the word.”

The scholarship caps a high school experience filled with outstanding academic, leadership and citizenship accomplishments. In addition to being first in his class of 442 students, Samuel is an AP Scholar with Distinction, a Kansas Governor’s Scholar and an award-winning violinist.

As concertmaster in the Advanced Orchestra, he has volunteered for his family’s Samuel Family Charity Foundation in India, mentoring and teaching math classes and participated in a medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

Samuel was selected as the Olathe youth representative to attend a National League of Cities national conference in Washington, D.C. with Mayor Mike Copeland. He has also served on the Olathe School District superintendent’s advisory board and was an Olathe District Teen Council representative.

Attaining a Jefferson Scholarship involves a rigorous selection process. Students must be nominated by their school, with only one student nomination annually. Then they compete regionally and nationally.

After winning his regional competition, Samuel was flown to Charlottesville for the Jefferson Scholarship Selection Weekend in late March. During the five-day event he participated in interviews, seminars and discussions. He wrote essays, took tests and participated in simulations requiring students to develop solutions to problems. Thirty-four received the scholarship.

He learned about the scholarship opportunity from a friend who applied last year. “I did some research on my own and discovered what a great opportunity it would be,” he said.

He has been accepted to a number of prestigious colleges, including Dartmouth University; Cornell University; University of Southern California; University of California, Berkley; Washington University and the University of Chicago. But in the end, he chose the University of Virginia.

One reason, he said, is that he plans to major in business and eventually obtain an MBA. “Jefferson Scholars have access to extensive alumni network and are given preference over other job applicants, which is one of the other reasons I chose to go to the University of Virginia,” he said. “I had already applied there when I learned about this opportunity.”

And, he told his father, the Jefferson Scholars he met were “smart, but nice.”

This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "$240,000 Jefferson Scholarship goes to Olathe Northwest grad."