COMMERCE, TX— Van Kaden Andre recently received the 2014 Mayo Scholarship. As the winner of one of the oldest and most prestigious undergraduate scholarships given at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Andre will receive $3,000 for the 2014-2015 school year.
Andre is a biology major from Greenville, Texas with a 3.96 GPA. He has been accepted into the Texas Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP), and he would like to one day become a surgeon. He has also served as Cadet Commander with the Lakeshore Composite Squadron in the Civil Air Patrol (US Air Force Auxiliary).
“Kaden definitely has the drive and potential to successfully pursue and complete his undergraduate degree,” said Dr. Allan Headly, one of Andre’s references. “He has a very promising future.”
The scholarship committee says they chose Andre because of his academic performance, his stellar essay and interview with the committee, and his dedication to extracurricular activities.
The Mayo Scholarship accepts applications from qualified juniors based on GPA and other qualifications. This year, the committee reviewed 30 applications and selected 10 semi-finalists to interview. After choosing Andre as the winner, the committee named Rebecca Atmakur, an Interdisciplinary Studies major from Plano, Texas, and Megan May, an Art History major from Commerce, Texas, as runners-up for the scholarship.