UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — More than 90 Penn State World Campus students received Penn State awards recognizing them for their outstanding academic achievement.
A total of 91 World Campus undergraduate students were among the 862 Penn State students who received the President Sparks Award, the President Walker Award, or the Evan Pugh Scholar Award for the 2023–24 academic year. The awards are given out each year, and students are invited to a recognition ceremony on the University Park campus.
Undergraduates who have completed 12 to 36 credits and earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) receive the President Walker Award.
The President Sparks Award is given to undergraduates who have completed 36 to 60 credits and earned a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
The Evan Pugh Scholar Award is given to junior- and senior-level students who have completed at least 48 credits and whose GPA places them in the upper 0.5 percent of their respective classes.
Hafsa Habibullah is one of 17 World Campus students who received the Evan Pugh Scholar Award.
Habibullah is studying Human Development and Family Studies and will graduate in the fall. She said receiving the Evan Pugh Scholar Award is a reflection of the hard work she’s put into her studies.
“I have often thought of how exactly my hard work will pay off, and I think this recognition is one manifestation of that,” she said.
Laura Grate will graduate next month with a bachelor’s in accounting. She also received the Evan Pugh Scholar Award and said the recognition makes her feel even more a part of Penn State.
“It reminds me that Penn State sees us,” she said. “It reminds me that I’m Penn State, too.”
Energy and Sustainability Policy student Julia Ortiz said the Evan Pugh Scholar Award validates the time and effort she puts into her academic work.
“I’ve always made school a priority and having that reflected back in the form of this award has felt really great,” she said.
Penn State World Campus offers a comprehensive selection of more than 175 degree programs online, including undergraduate degrees in business, science, engineering, health care, and more. Students who attend Penn State online through World Campus are eligible to receive academic awards and participate in University events.