Knight-Hennessy Scholars announces its largest cohort yet: 90 new scholars

The 2024 cohort of Knight-Hennessy scholars represents 30 countries and 45 graduate degree programs across Stanford University

STANFORD, Calif., May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University today announced its 2024 cohort of 90 new scholars, the largest to date. This seventh cohort comprises students from 30 countries who will pursue degrees in 45 graduate programs across all seven graduate schools at Stanford. For the first time ever, the cohort includes scholars with citizenship from Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, France, and Sri Lanka.

Denning House, home of Knight-Hennessy Scholars on the Stanford University campus.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a multidisciplinary, multicultural graduate fellowship program spanning all seven schools at Stanford University. Knight-Hennessy scholars receive up to three years of financial support to pursue graduate studies at Stanford while engaging in experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world. Scholars are selected based on their demonstration of independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset.

"With each new cohort of scholars I am even more encouraged about the future," said John L. Hennessy, Stanford University president emeritus and the Shriram Family Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars. "The challenges our world faces are only growing more complex, which validates the importance of our mission here."

Knight-Hennessy Scholars develops emerging leaders who have a commitment to the greater good and the tools needed to drive meaningful change. The King Global Leadership Program is a core part of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars experience, offering a wide range of workshops, lectures, projects, and experiences that complement scholars' graduate school education, helping them reach their leadership objectives.

Among the 2024 scholars, 47 percent hold a non-U.S. passport. Forty-nine percent of U.S. scholars identify as a person of color, and 11 percent have served in the U.S. military. The scholars earned undergraduate degrees at 60 different institutions, including 12 international institutions. Twenty-two percent are the first in their family to graduate from college. The seventh cohort brings the total scholar count to 514 to date, beginning with the inaugural cohort enrolled in 2018.

"Each scholar brings a unique perspective to our growing community," said Tina Seelig, executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars. "It is inspiring to see them build ties and gain knowledge across disciplines, cultures, and ideologies, contributing to their ability to address the world's biggest challenges."

The application for the 2025 cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars will open June 1, 2024, and is due October 9, 2024. Prospective scholars can attend information sessions to learn about the community, leadership development program, and admission process. Knight-Hennessy Scholars has no quotas or restrictions based on region, college or university, field of study, or career aspiration.

Announced in 2016, Knight-Hennessy Scholars is named for Phil Knight, MBA '62, philanthropist and co-founder of Nike Inc., and John Hennessy, chairman of Alphabet Inc. and president emeritus of Stanford (2000-2016). Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest, university-wide, fully-endowed graduate fellowship in the world. Learn more at kh.stanford.edu.