Ann Arbor Times

Eastern Michigan University has announced that Ethan Villa from Sylvania, Ohio, has been named a Presidential Scholar for 2024. Villa is among 21 students selected for this honor, which recognizes top-performing first-year students who show academic excellence, leadership, and community commitment.

“The scholarship is a tremendous award to receive,” said Villa. “It feels like something that I earned, as opposed to other scholarships I could have pursued because of my disability. I’m honored to represent the class of 2028.”

The EMU Presidential Scholarship is the university's most prestigious award, valued at up to $100K. It covers full tuition, fees, and four-year room and board. Recipients are active members of The Honors College at EMU and engage in opportunities for critical thinking, community engagement, and leadership. This aligns with EMU’s mission to support students in achieving their educational goals while positively impacting the world.

Villa graduated from Sylvania Southview High School and plans to study physics research at EMU. In high school, he was involved in the National Honor Society, Science Olympiad, and choir. He also volunteered at local churches and Sunshine Assisted Living. Villa aims to pursue graduate studies followed by a doctorate in nuclear physics focusing on clean energy research.

“We are excited to have such an impressive group of scholars join us at EMU this fall,” said Ann Eisenberg, dean of the Honors College. “They come from different backgrounds, cultures, and countries but share a passion for learning, service, and leadership.” The scholars have an average SAT score of 1320 and a GPA of 4.02.

Villa expressed his eagerness to become part of the EMU community: “I’m excited to get involved in research, student organizations, and cultivate the hard-of-hearing community on campus.”

Eligible students can apply for the Presidential Scholarship during their senior year of high school.

Eastern Michigan University was founded in 1849 as Michigan's second oldest public university. It serves nearly 13,000 students across various degree programs through its multiple colleges.