University of North Georgia

Eight University of North Georgia (UNG) students and alumni have been named Fulbright semifinalists for the 2026-27 academic year. All eight are pursuing the opportunity to be English teaching assistants (ETAs).

Childhood experiences can play an important role in a person's dream of what to become as an adult, and Mauricio Gonzalez of Gainesville, Georgia, was no different. The First-Generation college junior at the University of North Georgia (UNG) is pursuing a degree in political science. He recently became the second student from UNG to be awarded a spot in the Public Policy International Affairs Junior Fellowship Program. The fully-funded, seven-week program is hosted by one of three universities (Harvard, Princeton and the University of Michigan, the host institution for Gonzalez). Gonzalez will take part in the program this summer. The experience is designed to propel students to graduate school.

Four University of North Georgia (UNG) students earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in late fall 2025 and will use the funding in spring 2026. Three of the four are students in UNG's College of Education.

Six nontraditional female students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) each earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Women of UNG and other supporters, including alumni and supportive women from the community. UNG honored the recipients Dec. 4 at the Women's Holiday Scholarship Luncheon. The Women of UNG is a shared interest group of the UNG Alumni Association. "Never Forget the Impact You Make" was the theme for the event, and while this was the 16th year scholarships were provided, the luncheon celebrated 22 years of its existence. It initially started to show appreciation to the women of the Gainesville community who had donated or been strong advocates for female students at what was then Gainesville State College.

The Tomato Sandwich Supper held Nov. 6 at the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Blue Ridge Campus served as a showcase for the transformational power of UNG's work. In addition to honoring 24 scholarship recipients, the event included a chance for five of them to share their stories and thank donors.

Students and a recent alumna from the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis (IESA) earned more than half of the Surveying and Mapping Society Education of Georgia Foundation (SAMSEF) scholarships awarded for 2025-26 in Georgia.

Five UNG students were selected as Gilman scholarship program recipients in December. The scholarships help students study or intern abroad. A total of 1,600 scholarships were awarded from the 7,100 applications.

Five nontraditional female students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) each earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Women of UNG on Dec. 5 at the Women's Holiday Scholarship Luncheon.

University of North Georgia junior Sydney Griffith has earned the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields. The award provides a total of up to $15,000 per student over two years.

Fourteen University of North Georgia (UNG) students of Mexican or Latinx descent will receive scholarships provided by the UNG Foundation and the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta. Recipients are primarily in the College of Education.

University of North Georgia (UNG) senior Ana Flores has been named the school's Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Scholar for the 2024-25 academic year.

Seven University of North (UNG) students were named Fulbright finalists this spring, and six are set to travel to destinations in Europe and Asia. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program will allow these students to meet, work, live with and learn from the people of their host country. These UNG's Fulbright finalists will serve as English teaching assistant in their respective countries.

University of North Georgia (UNG) student Dominique Cunningham has been accepted into Yale University's BioMed Amgen Scholars program. Inspired and assisted by her mentor Dr. Neal Lin, a lecturer of biology and a Yale alumnus, and Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, Cunningham applied for the program late last year.

University of North Georgia (UNG) alumnus Atticus Tomcho has been selected as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recipient.

Four students from the University of North Georgia (UNG) have been selected as 2024 Boren Scholarship recipients, and one was named an alternate. The awardees won funding of up to $25,000 to study a critical language abroad. In return, they agree to work for the federal government for a year upon graduation.

Fifteen UNG students earned scholarships for SANS Institute cybersecurity training through their strong finishes in the Cyber FastTrack competition.

Recent University of North Georgia graduate Lauren Payne was the first recipient of the Dr. Sidney Benton Endowed Mathematics Educator Scholarship.

Recent University of North Georgia (UNG) graduate Alyssa Mulcahy will spend the 2024-25 academic year in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program.

Forty University of North Georgia (UNG) students in STEM degree programs are now receiving up to $10,000 per academic year in scholarships thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Students can be in the program for up to eight semesters, with the possibility of a total of $40,000 in scholarship money by graduation.

Hugh Pruitt, a University of North Georgia (UNG) freshman, was awarded a scholarship by the Atlanta Chapter of the Project Management Institute for his essay "Where Will I Be In Five Years."

University of North Georgia (UNG) senior Daniela Zavaleta won the prestigious 2024 Undergraduate Scholarship Award from the Association for Supply Chain Management's (ACSM) Atlanta chapter.

Sixteen University of North Georgia (UNG) students and alumni have been named semifinalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2024-25 academic year. They will learn within the next three months whether they are selected for the competitive fellowship.

Five University of North Georgia (UNG) students were named winners of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in December. The scholarship is presented by the U.S. Department of State to undergraduate students who meet eligibility requirements.

University of North Georgia (UNG) alumnus 2nd Lt. Phillip Ly has earned the Rangel Fellowship, which awards up to $42,000 annually for two years to 45 American students who plan to earn a master's degree and begin a career in the Foreign Service.

Cadet Hyunbean Park has been selected as the annual UNG recipient of a scholarship from the Georgia Mountain Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, which recently hosted its annual meeting at UNG.

Erin Whatley earned the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholar award for the 2023-24 academic year.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) honored 32 students with about $15,000 of scholarships and celebrated the philanthropy that made those scholarships possible at the sixth annual Tomato Sandwich Supper held Sept. 28 at UNG's Blue Ridge Campus.

UNG and the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta are teaming up for the fourth consecutive year to offer scholarships to UNG students of Mexican or Latinx descent. Scholarship recipients include Fatima Santillan, Juan Hernandez, Diane Gomez, Kevin Luna-Vaca, Dulce Sumano, Miguel Vilchis Tinoco, Cinthia Acosta, and Jessaly Chamorro.

University of North Georgia (UNG) senior Anna Cronan was named an honorable mention for the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship at the end of her junior year. The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service and commitment to Native American nations or environment-related issues.

University of North Georgia (UNG) senior Haley Menees became one of 15 students nationally to earn acceptance into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program in 2023.