More than 60 students applied for the St. Newman Scholarship, and five were awarded the scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year.
The scholarship, which is the university’s most prestigious academic award, covers full tuition for up to five years for high-achieving first-year students who demonstrate a commitment to leadership, service and Newman’s mission. The selection process for the St. Newman Scholarship is rigorous, and applicants must have at least a 3.9 GPA or better to apply.
This year’s recipients are Amelia Hogan, Oscar Buenaflor, Vanessa Renteria Beltran, Xaviera Sykes and Madeleine Walter.
A competitive path to excellence
During orientation weekend, President Kathleen S. Jagger, Ph.D., MPH, introduced the five scholarship recipients to the incoming class for the first time.
“This scholarship honors our namesake, Saint John Henry Newman, and it is the most competitive Newman University academic award,” Jagger said. “The decision is never easy. Kudos to those of you in that group of 60 applicants for this award.”
Each of the 2026 recipients shares a commitment to service, bettering their communities and stepping into their future fields as dependable difference makers. Four of the five recipients are pursuing careers in healthcare, while the fifth is entering the education field. All are members of the Newman Honors Program.
Meet the 2026 St. Newman scholars
Healing through movement
When Hogan, a graduate of Winfield High School in Winfield, Kansas, witnessed her family members struggle with mobility, she made it her mission to improve others’ quality of life as a future physical therapist.
“Almost always, someone has aches and pains in their bodies that only get worse with age,” Hogan said in her application essay. “These pains significantly decrease the quality of life and cause struggles in daily life. Physical therapy is focused on recovering after injury, but injury prevention is a big part of it as well. Prioritizing strength and movement are the keys to avoiding these types of issues, which will not only help their mobility, but their confidence and control over their bodies.”
Hogan, who is a biology major with a concentration in pre-physical therapy, is already immersing herself in the field by shadowing at Advanced Physical Therapy in Winfield. Hogan is confident that her time at Newman will prepare her to make a “real impact on society,” she said.
“Newman’s whole mission is to educate students fully, which will shape me into a well-rounded physician who not only cares about physical health, but the emotional impact injuries have on a person,” Hogan said. “Newman’s strong science program will make me much more knowledgeable and prepare me for my doctorate in physical therapy.”
A vision for nursing
Buenaflor, a nursing major and graduate of Mount Carmel School in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, plans to use his Newman education to address the medical shortage in his homeland. His long-term goal is not only to work as a nurse, but also to start his own business that provides necessary medical equipment to developing countries.
“Coming from an island that only a tiny speck of the human population knows about in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, very little resources are sent to these islands,” Buenaflor said in his application essay. “Many times it takes months, even years, to truly recover after a natural disaster or a global pandemic.”
Buenaflor believes Newman’s program will introduce him to the world of nursing while teaching him how to assist people in various situations. His personal values also closely align with two of Newman’s core pillars: Catholic identity and global perspective.
“I can practice and even improve my faith while still sticking to my journey to the healthcare industry,” Buenaflor said. “With Newman University’s study abroad programs, I believe they can help me open my eyes to the different cultures around the world, how people in my future field of work would deal with dangerous situations and care for people that come from a variety of cultures found around the globe.”
Led by faith
Walter, a nursing major from Bellevue, Nebraska, also sees her future career as a dual calling. A graduate of Bellevue East High School, Walter hopes to combine her medical training with her faith.
“Not only will I be helping people physically, but I can feed their souls the word of God, thus making a difference in their lives,” Walter said in her application essay. “After hearing about how much of Newman is rooted in faith and developing deep relationships not just with classmates and professors but with God, it is clear to me that an atmosphere of love and acceptance is what I have to look forward to.”
Walter hopes to develop long-lasting relationships with her peers, learn more about ministry and get involved in service trips and projects.
“I know Newman will empower me to be brave, giving me the tools I need to prosper in the world and ‘transform society’ while continuing to grow,” she added.
A commitment to the whole person
Sykes, a diagnostic medical sonography major from Bremerton, Washington, was drawn to Newman’s focus on the “whole human person.” A graduate of Aquinas Classical Academy, Sykes believes that individual transformation is the key to societal change.
“By becoming the most true, good, intelligent version of myself, I hope that I can go through life helping and inspiring others to also be their best selves,” Sykes said.
In her application essay, Sykes wrote that “well-formed consciences and well-formed minds create the best world.” While her career goal is to help mothers and children, her lifelong aspiration is to create a ripple effect that betters all of society as a result — something inspired by none other than the university’s namesake.
“St. John Henry Newman wrote a prayer that I have prayed many times over the course of a very stressful senior year, when decisions about my future have loomed over me,” Sykes said. “‘God has created me to do some definite service … I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.’”
Sykes is a resident of Metanoia, Newman’s Catholic living community.
Educating the next generation
Renteria Beltran of Commerce City, Colorado, graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with her associate degree in May 2026 and chose Newman to complete her journey to teaching.
“Newman University is the nurturing soil where I see myself flourishing … to grow into the person I aspire to be — someone who not only accomplishes personal success, but also makes a meaningful contribution in the lives of others,” Renteria Beltran wrote in her application essay.
From seminars to interactive learning environments, Renteria Beltran plans to broaden her understanding of the world and engage in discussions that will translate to educating her students from a place of servant leadership.
“I want to find the independence, space and security to grow in fulfilling ways — intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and overall as a purposeful individual,” she said.
The scholars’ call-to-action
As these five scholars begin their journey at Newman University, they carry with them the responsibility of the university’s mission: to be empowered to transform society.
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