On Friday, Feb. 24, trustees from the Sumners Foundation interviewed candidates from Texas Wesleyan for its prestigious Sumners Scholars Program. According to Sumners Foundation Chair Lon Williams, "Texas Wesleyan had a excellent group of scholarship candidates this year, and the decision was not easy."

At the end of the interview process, the following students were selected by Sumners Trustees as the Fall 2023 recipients of the Sumners Scholarships:

• Cesar Espino (majoring in history with secondary certification)
• Aubrey Hansen (double majoring in political science and history)

Cesar and Aubrey will join the two Sumners Scholars currently in the program.

The interviews were followed by a lunch in honor of this year's graduating scholar Manuela Lee. Continuing scholars Bailey O'Donnell and Benjamin Reckart were also present.  During the luncheon, Sumners Trustees awarded Texas Wesleyan President Frederick G. Slabach a Sumners medal for his support of the Scholars program during his tenure at the University. 

In addition to a generous scholarship, Texas Wesleyan Sumners Scholars attend the Texas Tribune Festival and the Sumners Scholars Weekend each year. Scholars also have the opportunity to participate in various lunches and lectures sponsored by the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI). Finally, scholars also serve the community through volunteer opportunities.  

The endowed Sumners Scholarship Program was established at Texas Wesleyan University in 1994. Since that time, many TXWES students have been honored as Sumners Scholars. The scholarship carries not only a significant stipend but also various extracurricular opportunities specifically designed to develop scholars' leadership potential.  

Students apply to the Sumners program during their sophomore year, and the scholarship takes effect when they are juniors the subsequent fall semester. For more information about the Sumners Scholarship, visit txwes.edu/academics/sumners.