Five exceptional incoming students at West Virginia University who share a passion for learning and for making a positive impact on their communities will engage in research and contribute to their chosen fields of study as the 2025-26 WVU Foundation Scholars, the highest academic scholarship the University awards.

The new cohort of scholars includes Paige Fox from Pikeview High School, Noah Galvin from Martinsburg High School, Emily Garrett from Braxton County High School, Zoey Hoffman from Buffalo High School and Luke Tiu from Wheeling Central Catholic High School.

“Our Foundation Scholars come from across West Virginia and will bring with them to West Virginia University their own perspectives as they pursue their purpose,” WVU President Gordon Gee said.

“Paige and Zoey are the first students from their respective high schools to be awarded the Foundation Scholarship, while Noah, Emily and Luke follow in the footsteps of previous recipients. Like those before them, I know they will all seize this opportunity to challenge themselves as they learn and grow.”

Valued at more than $90,000 total, the scholarship covers college costs for four years of undergraduate studies, including tuition and fees, room and board, and a book stipend. Each Foundation Scholar will also receive a $4,500 stipend to help diversify their academic journeys through study abroad, internships or research.

Four of the scholars will pursue biology degrees on paths to their future careers.

Fox, a 4-H member who learned to play the banjo in third grade, is an aspiring pharmacist. Coming from a small rural community that lacks academic resources, she said she is eager to engage in research and other hands-on experiences at WVU. She also looks forward to joining the WVU Collegiate 4-H Club. In her spare time, Fox enjoys hiking, and she plans to use her stipend to study abroad while exploring Europe.

Galvin, an avid outdoorsman with plans to major in both mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering, is considering a career in propulsion systems at NASA. With a passion for aerospace history, Galvin worked with his brother to help his high school’s robotics team win the West Virginia VEX Robotics Competition Create Award for the most innovative robotics design. He will use his stipend to pursue an internship program abroad.

Garrett, a participant in the Health Sciences and Technology Academy, said she wants to combine her passion for science and creativity as a portrait artist to become a facial reconstruction surgeon. She plans to join the Quiz Bowl Club and enroll in law courses during her undergraduate studies. Garrett would like to use her stipend to study abroad in her mother’s home country of Japan.

Hoffman, a member of FBLA and volleyball player who grew up on a farm, looks forward to working in the field of immunology or scientific medicine research. Her parents are both University alumni and her twin sister will join her as an incoming student at WVU. Hoffman enjoys baking pies and pastries in her spare time and plans to use her stipend to study abroad while helping people in underdeveloped communities.

Tiu, an avid golfer, will use his biology degree as an unorthodox path to law school. He said he believes that a degree in the STEM field will make him more marketable. Ultimately, he would like to work in West Virginia as a health care attorney or politician. Tiu, whose goal is to visit every national park in the country during his lifetime, will use his stipend to study abroad.

Since the inaugural class in 1987, WVU has awarded 195 students with Foundation Scholarships.

To qualify for the Foundation Scholarship, students must meet a rigorous set of criteria, including holding West Virginia residency, possessing a minimum grade point average of 3.8 and achieving a minimum composite score of 30 on the ACT or the equivalent SAT score.

The scholarships are part of the University’s comprehensive awards program and are supported, in part, by the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.