The Honors College is proud to announce that of the 23 undergraduate students welcomed into the 2025-2026 Shelby Scholars class, 19 are Honors students.
The Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership at the University of Alabama houses the Shelby Scholars class, a distinguished program that prepares students to become the next generation of leaders in policy and public service.
This announcement comes two years after U.S. Senator Richard Shelby donated his congressional archives to The University of Alabama for research and educational use. In honor of this contribution, the University established the Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership—funded by federal appropriations and University support, to empower future leaders through education and experience.
The Shelby Scholars program offers a rigorous, credit-bearing curriculum for students from all academic disciplines. It emphasizes a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary approach to policy and leadership, blending classroom learning with hands-on experiences, high-impact programming, and opportunities to engage with influential leaders.
The 2025-2026 class of Shelby Scholars includes the following Honors students:
- Hailey Adams (Birmingham, AL)
- Javen Bies-Dupree (Birmingham, AL)
- John Michael Chandash (Birmingham, AL)
- Rylen Dempsey (Vestavia Hills, AL)
- Anna Dickey (Montgomery, AL)
- Lana Grace Fields (Knoxville, TN)
- Jack Hastings (Plano, TX)
- Woods Hobbs (Tuscaloosa, AL)
- Kennedy Jones (Tuscaloosa, AL)
- Madeleine Luther (Cincinnati, OH)
- Sam Miller (Midway, AL)
- Luke Mintz (Sevierville, TN)
- Gracie Moody (Cullman, AL)
- Elizabeth Owens (Pensacola, FL)
- Charlie Beth Pruett (Jasper, AL)
- Addison Ratliff (Mobile, AL)
- Robin Reid (Perkasie, PA)
- Jonas Scofield (Sylacauga, AL)
- Eleanor Vest (Arley, AL)
Congratulations to the 2025-2026 class of Shelby Scholars!