Mesa student named a 2024 Flinn Scholarship winner
May 6—A Mesa resident is one of 20 Arizona high school students who are 2024 winners of the prestigious Flinn Scholarship, earning a four-year free ride to any of Arizona's three state universities and a host of other perks.
Dominic Castagna, a senior at Arizona College Prep High School in Chandler, was named in a release last week by the Flinn Foundation as one of the winners of the merit-based scholarship, worth over $130,000.
Other East Valley seniors who also received the scholarship include Meand Chandler residents Swanuja Godasi and Arian Rahman, who attend Arizona College Prep High School and BASIS Chandler, respectively, and Allison Mannon, the first senior at Williams Field High School in Gilbert to win the prestigious award.
The 39th class of Flinn Scholars, representing 17 high schools, will study alongside scholars currently attending the honors colleges at ASU, NAU and UA.
A university's honors college boasts small-class size and access to top researchers, labs and guest lectures.
"These high-achieving students will obviously impress you with what they include in their scholarship applications, but meeting them in person and learning about their passions and drive for a better Arizona is what's most inspiring," said Anne Lassen, Flinn Foundation vice president of scholarship and education initiatives in a news release.
Ten of the Flinn Scholars are from the Valley and 10 are from outside Maricopa County, including Flagstaff, Holbrook, Prescott Valley and Tucson.
The program's award rate is less than 2%.
Flinn Scholars are typically in the top 5% of their graduating class and demonstrate leadership in extracurricular activities at school and in their communities. The application requires academic transcripts, standardized test scores, essays and short-answer questions, and recommendations.
This year's scholars plan to study a wide range of subjects, including electrical and mechanical engineering, global health, law, physiology, mathematics, biochemistry, neuroscience, political science and creative writing, according to the news release.
"For nearly 40 years, the Flinn Scholarship has provided Arizona's most accomplished students the freedom to explore, challenge themselves, and become leaders in their home state while making significant contributions to our innovative public universities," said Dr. Tammy McLeod, Flinn Foundation president and CEO. "
There are over 725 current and alumni Flinn Scholars, including about 80 scholars studying at the three state universities at any given time.
Other offerings to the students include personal mentorship from top faculty and fellow scholars, invitations to exclusive events with Arizona and global leaders in business, government, science and the arts and unique intellectual, cultural, and social activities developed for Flinn Scholars by both the Flinn Foundation and universities.
