Fellows, Scholars & Professional Pathways

Elon College Fellows

Sixty-four new Elon College Fellows in the Class of 2027 began their journey into the arts and sciences by engaging with the disciplines beyond Elon’s campus. In a visit to the Animal Park at the Conservators Center in nearby Caswell County, they explored how the liberal arts and sciences are integrated into the operation of a wildlife education center. The Winter Term seminar, Paths of Inquiry, included a five-day trip to Washington, D.C., where Fellows accessed behind-the-scenes looks at museum curation, centers of research and the halls of government and met with area alumni.

Forty-two Fellows graduated in 2024, benefiting from internships, study abroad, service, leadership and closely mentored, two-year undergraduate research projects. The Elon College Fellows program promotes lifelong learning and relationships, sparking curiosity across the arts and sciences through mentored research, focused seminars and activities designed to deepen scholarship.

Engineering Fellows

The inaugural class of 10 Engineering Fellows graduated in May 2024 after founding a community of robust scholarship and peer support among aspiring engineers. Fellows in the Class of 2024 included two Lumen Scholars, and are bound for graduate programs at Vanderbilt University, N.C. State University and the University of Florida, and jobs at Hitachi Energy and the Naval Surface Warfare Center/Dahlgren Division, among others.

Elon’s Engineering Fellows program challenges passionate students to design, prototype and test potential solutions to the complex problems facing our world today. Thirteen Fellows entered the program in fall 2023, bringing the program’s total to 54 Fellows enrolled. They completed Elon 1010 as a cohort and collaborated with peers, faculty and staff to advance their skills and explore a range of engineering topics.

Data Analytics Scholars

The Data Analytics Scholars program welcomed its first 11 students in 2023-24, immersing themselves in opportunities to explore ways data inform our society and scholarly opportunities available at Elon and beyond. These first-year students met with senior peers and faculty in the Statistics Practicum and Data Analytics programs and networked with others in the Center for Organizational Analytics, Media Analytics and Live Oaks Analytics teams. Eight additional Data Scholars enrolled in fall 2024, with plans for scholars to meet with the N.C. State University Masters in Data Analytics Program and conduct a campuswide data event in spring 2025.

Health Professions Scholars and Advising

Graduates of Health Professions Scholars and Advising programs continued to be accepted to graduate and doctorate medical programs at rates up to 50% higher than national averages. Twenty-seven Elon graduates were accepted to allopathic and osteopathic programs at Thomas Jefferson University, Tulane University and the University of Oklahoma, among others.

Eleven Scholars graduated in 2024 from majors across the university and were accepted to pre-nursing, pre-physician assistant, dental and organizational psychology programs. Others were accepted to Fellows programs through Elon and the MedServe Program in Asheville, North Carolina. The Health Professions Scholars program is a selective, merit-based program for students interested in pursuing health-related majors and careers. Adding 44 students in the Class of 2028, the program grew to 76 Scholars in fall 2024.

Legal Professions Scholars and Advising

An exciting first-time collaboration with the Elon School of Law brought Legal Professions Scholars and students in the Pre-Law Advising Program face-to-face with deans and admissions directors from law schools across the state. The N.C. Law School Deans event was held in March, and featured a panel discussion among law school deans and admissions representatives from Wake Forest University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and N.C. Central University, among others. They advised more than 50 students about law school applications, preparation and scholarship opportunities.

Ninety-three percent of seniors in the programs were accepted to law schools, including admissions to Top 14 schools such as Harvard University, Columbia University, Yale University and Duke University.

Elon Vocal Scholars

Twelve first-year Elon Vocal Scholars completed the program’s inaugural year, participating in ensembles and strengthening their voices under the guidance of music faculty. The Elon Vocal Scholars program, open to all majors, helps students advance their singing talents through instruction and performance, while enhancing campus culture through music.

The first cohort included students pursuing a variety of majors, finding community in vocal ensembles, a cappella groups, and performing in campus productions. They capped the year with a concert featuring solo and duet performances at a local retirement community. The incoming 2024-25 cohort will include 19 scholars who auditioned for acceptance into the program. Expanded performances on and off campus are planned in the program’s second year.

Peace Corps Prep Program

Routinely recognized as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers in service around the globe, the Peace Corps Preparation Program celebrated its 10th year in spring 2024. At a February event, Elon alumni and local Peace Corps volunteers met with students to discuss how the program changed their career trajectories, enhanced skills they bring to their current work and impacted their lives.

In 2013, Elon was one of only six universities to host a Peace Corps Prep program. Since then, Elon has graduated over 80 Peace Corps certified students and been repeatedly ranked as a top-10 Peace Corp Prep partner university. Elon’s program develops four competencies — training and experience in a specific work sector, foreign language proficiency, intercultural competency, and professional leadership and development skills. To earn the Peace Corps Prep certificate at Elon, students must complete three courses in their chosen sector and at least 50 hours of service in the sector.