Five Furman students win major scholarships

Last updated February 17, 2016

By Furman News

APRIL 13, 2012
by Vince Moore, Media Relations

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Five Furman University students have been awarded major academic scholarships in 2012.

Benjamin Saul, a junior from Greenwood, has been named a 2012 Truman Scholar, while Matthew Correnti, a junior from Springfield, Pa., was awarded a 2012 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Claire Campbell, a junior from Oak Ridge, Tn., was awarded a 2012 Morris K. Udall Scholarship, and seniors Brandon Tensley of Columbia and Sarah “Kitty” Tryon of Elgin were awarded 2012 J. William Fulbright scholarships.

Benjamin Saul, a political science major, is one of 54 students from 48 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the Truman Scholarship, which provides up to $30,000 for graduate study and is given annually to students who have excelled academically and are committed to careers in public service. A political science major at Furman, Saul plans to pursue a graduate degree in public policy. He is currently president of the College Democrats and a Student Advance Team member of the Riley Institute at Furman. He has been a special education tutor at Berea Middle School, and he is also a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. A 2009 graduate of Emerald High School, he is the son of Jan and Dr. Robert Saul of Greenwood.

Matthew Correnti, a triple-major in chemistry, physics and mathematics, received the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate award for math and science. The Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation awarded 282 scholarships for the 2012–2013 academic year. Correnti is a Lay Scholar and Beckman Scholar at Furman, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma. He held the Childers Research Scholarship in 2010, and made a presentation at the Royal Society Discussion Meeting in London earlier this year. A 2008 graduate of Springfield High School, he is the son of Cecilia and Daniel Correnti of Springfield.

Claire Campbell, an earth and environmental sciences major, was awarded a highly competitive Morris K. Udall Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship for environmental studies. She was among 80 scholars chosen from more than 550 students who received nominations from 274 colleges and universities. At Furman, Campbell is an active member of the Bartram Society and Environmental Action Group, and she has also participated in the Environmental Community of Students program. She is a student coordinator with Engaged Living, and has spent the past three summers working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a research assistant on various projects related to ecosystems study. A 2009 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, she is the daughter of Priscilla and Jim Campbell of Oak Ridge.

Brandon Tensley, a double major in political science and German studies, was awarded a J. William Fulbright Scholarship to serve as an English teaching assistant in Germany for the 2012-2013 academic year. The Fulbright is the flagship academic exchange program between the U.S. and 155 countries. Tensley, who will graduate from Furman in May, received the university’s Goethe Medal for Excellence in German and the S. Sidney Ulmer Medal for Excellence in Political Science. He is one of five seniors to be named a 2012 Furman Fellow. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma, and will spend the upcoming summer in Copenhagen, Denmark as an American Fellow with Humanity in Action. A 2008 graduate of Ridge View High School, he is the son of Joyce and Michael Tensley of Columbia.

Sarah “Kitty” Tryon, a double major in neuroscience and German studies who will graduate this spring, also received the 2012 J. William Fulbright Scholarship and will serve as an English teaching assistant in Germany for the 2012-2013 academic year. She is a member of Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Epsilon Delta and Phi Sigma Iota, and has volunteered as a tutor in local schools. She was a member of the women’s varsity soccer team at Furman, and was a Southern Conference Honor Roll Student-Athlete. In 2010, she interned at an international private healthcare clinic in Germany, where she translated physicians’ reports and other documents from German to English. A 2008 graduate of Spring Valley High School, she is the daughter of Sally and Ron Tryon of Elgin.