OXFORD, Miss. – Two Mississippi students have been chosen to receive
the University of Mississippi’s $40,000 W.R. Newman Scholarship, which
is among the state’s largest awards for undergraduates.
Anamaria Elizabeth Caradine of Vardaman and Amanda McIntire Daggett of
Jackson, who will enter UM as freshmen this fall, were selected for the
scholarship based on their records of academic excellence.
“We hope the Newman Scholarship helps Amanda Daggett and Anamaria
Caradine to thrive in their undergraduate carreers at Ole Miss,”
Chancellor Robert Khayat said.
The scholarship was created in 1983 and endowed by the W.R. Newman family in memory of UM alumnus W.R. “Buck” Newman Jr. to help his alma mater recruit Mississippi’s most outstanding young men and women. A UM committee selects the scholars.
Caradine, the daughter of Jimmy and Marianne Caradine, is the first in her family to attend Ole Miss. She said becoming a Newman Scholar has been her dream.
“Now that I have been given the opportunity to attend college without worrying about the financial burden, I can do more than I ever dreamed possible,” she said. “Thanks to what the Newman Scholarship has given me, I can enjoy my education so much more.”
Daggett is continuing her family’s tradition by attending Ole Miss, following her father and grandfather. She is the daughter of Brighid and William Daggett.
“I am looking forward to meeting new people, learning to live on my own away from home, studying with great professors and (being part of ) the Chancellor’s Leadership classes,” she said. “Also, it is going to be exciting to be at Ole Miss and be a part of history during the presidential debate.”
She said that during her visits to the Oxford campus, everyone made her feel incredibly welcome. “The scholarship is so generous. It will open a lot of doors for me, help me meet a lot of new people, and give me opportunities to study abroad.”
A National Merit Semifinalist, Daggett attended Madison-Ridgeland Academy, where she was a member of Mu Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society, French Club and Pre-Med Club. She was also a Wendy’s High School Heisman award winner.
At Vardaman High School, Caradine was valedictorian, a STAR student and selected for Who’s Who Among American High School Students. She was a member of Student Council, Mu Alpha Theta and Beta Club.
“I first visited Ole Miss about a year-and-a-half ago; I’ve been in love with it ever since, Caradine said. “The beauty and charm that radiates across the campus pulled me in close. That one visit sparked something inside me, and now I visit all the time. I cannot wait to get started with school and figuring out all the different things that Ole Miss has to offer me. I’ve been planning for this moment for the past four or five years, and I am so excited that it’s finally here.”