On September 8th, Undergraduate Studies hosted a reception to honor all first year students who WPI bestowed the distinction of Charles O. Thompson Scholar. Named after WPI's first president, the Charles O Thompson designation is reserved for those who have demonstrated true excellence in their academic work. To earn this honor, a student must achieve outstanding marks across all three initial terms of their first year: no grade lower than a B, and at least six A's. We had over 500 students who received the honor of being a COT scholar.
Each Charles O. Thompson Scholar, became eligible to compete for the Outstanding New Student award — a summer research, design, or creative activity fellowship. We asked them to write short essays telling us who they are: what drives them to pursue a project in research, design, or creative work; how they expect that project to shape your path forward; and why they believe they deserved this recognition.
Over fifty students submitted essays about their work, their contributions to the WPI community, and their lives beyond it. We learned about students who overcame significant personal obstacles — quietly, while still finding time to lead, to volunteer, to build. We learned about students who, in just their first year, are already forging their own futures through scholarship, community engagement, and service to others.
The awards reception honored all students who received the distinction of the COT Scholar but called out the following students who were nominated as Honorable Mentions and Outstanding New Students.
Honorable Mentions
Connor 'Skye' Geraghty
Nicholas Kuntz
Sasha Teymurazyan
Outstanding New Students
Juan Pablo Espinosa Chessal
Jackson Handley
