The Elon Freedom Scholars welcomes its third and largest class as they begin a new year focused on college preparation, career exploration and civic learning and engagement.
The Elon Freedom Scholars (EFS) program, a Teagle Foundation “Knowledge for Freedom” initiative, welcomed its third and largest cohort to campus on Saturday, Sept. 21. The 24 members of the class represent nearly all of the Alamance-Burlington School System’s public schools.
The Elon Freedom Scholars, launched in 2022, is one of several university college access programs. In one of the most powerful moments of the orientation session, one of the members of the cohort expressed her gratitude to the program for the opportunity, especially her friend who texted her a link to the program application in a simple message, saying, “Join me.” These two powerful words changed the trajectory of her life. In her words, she said she was heading to cosmetology school in the absence of a clear path to a four-year college experience.
Prudence Layne, director of the Freedom Scholars program, provided the ABSS high school seniors and their families an overview of the year ahead, which includes the ability to take college-level classes at Elon, develop a network of mentors to support their college, career and civic leadership aspirations, build and expand a strong civic leadership legacy in Alamance County, and share their research and work as they prepare for college and life after high school.
Currently, eight Elon Freedom Scholars alumni are enrolled as scholars in the Odyssey Program and other signature Fellows and Scholar programs at Elon. Other graduates of the program are enrolled at high-caliber colleges and programs across the nation, including Clemson, Duke, N.C. A&T State University, Queens University, the University of Alabama, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte and Virginia Tech. Freedom Scholars alumni also serve their country, enrolling in the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Army Reserve.
The program’s academic curriculum takes a “classic citizenship to contemporary challenges” approach to its curriculum.
“We provide you with the real-world relevance of how thinkers from the classical and ancient worlds, like Hobbes, Locke and Plato, when studied alongside contemporary writers, help you recognize the significance for their worlds,” said Joel Shelton, Elon Freedom Scholars associate director of curriculum and instruction.
While parents and families embarked on a bilingual (English & Spanish) tour of the Elon campus, Freedom Scholars shared some of the most pressing challenges they identified in their communities, including: food insecurity, homelessness, the ABSS teacher shortages, under-resourcing, and under-employment and promoting access and inclusion in their schools and the broader communities. Students shared some of the painful realities of their communities and began brainstorming ways they could partner with each other, local agencies and activists to impact their communities.
Scholars will meet at least once monthly over the coming year to focus on their research and projects. The class will gather for their two-week summer residency in June 2025 before heading off to college. They will share their research and civic engagement projects with the public at the third annual Elon Freedom Scholars Symposium on June 27 at Elon.
Meet the Class of 2025
Bisan Abu Khalaf
Williams High School
Lily Alba Martinez
Cummings High School
Darwin Cortes Pimentel
Cummings High School
Rafael Campos Perez
Cummings High School
Symphoni Curtis
Southeast Alamance High School
Emily Davis
Eastern High School
Kairiana Day
Eastern High School
Kalyn Faille
Williams High School & ABSS Early College
Keydie Hernandez Sandoval
Cummings High School
Stephanie Flores-Portillo
Eastern High School
Gabrielle Howard
Cummings High School
Madison Kingery
Southern High School
Breon Love
Cummings High School
Grettel Martinez Rojas
Cummings High School
Marianna Martinez
Williams High School
Britny Mendoza Portillo
Cummings High School
Daysi Nicoll Merlos-Avila
Cunnings High School
Magaly Palomares
Southern High School & ABSS Early College
Eimy Roselin
Cummings High School
Yuritza Sanchez
Cummings High School
Inaaya Siddiqui
Walter Williams High School
Haleigh Totten
Cummings High School
Dulce Velasquez Arreaga
Eastern High School
Kymani Mason
Graham High School & COP
Yarile Yajaira
Graham High School