As of 2021, Emergent Scholars celebrates its forty year anniversary at Elizabethtown College. First created in the fall of 1981 by then Etown President and former professor of bible and philosophy Reverend Dr. Mark C. Ebersole, the Emergent Scholars award recognizes students who have a GPA of 3.75 or higher after their first three semesters of college. The establishment of this award reflects the legacy of Ebersole, who was dedicated to the cultivation of academic excellence and prowess at Etown. Recognizing the early success of the Emergent Scholars is just one of his many accomplishments during his time at the College.

Director of Special Programs and Prestigious Scholarships & Fellowships Professor Jean Paul Benowitz emphasizes the importance of presenting this award during a student’s sophomore year, given the fact that this year is often “sink or swim” for students. 

“The sophomore year can be a time where a lot of students discern their academic program and whether or not they want to be at the institution,” Benowitz stated. “After three consecutive semesters, the fact that your GPA is that high is indicative of the fact that you are committed academically…this is where [students] realize [they] can realize [their] academic goals.”

Part of what makes the Emergent Scholars significant is that this academic recognition specifically acknowledges the significance of overcoming what is called “the sophomore slump” wherein students tend to struggle in their sophomore year as a result of life stressors and the adjustment to independent adulthood. Emergent scholars are encouraged to name a mentor who was significant to their academic success at the college. The students and their mentors are then formally awarded at Convocation. 

According to Benowitz, the recognition of these students at Convocation is especially significant because it allows for incoming freshmen to understand the value of academic achievement and to form goals surrounding their own academic success.

“What’s fantastic is that it’s happening in front of the incoming class,” Benowitz said. “It sets the bar, motivating the incoming class to strive to be an emergent scholar.”

The Emergent Scholars program is not the only recognition of academic excellence awarded to students, but it is a noteworthy benchmark for students who have shown consistent diligence in their first three semesters at college. To this end, Benowitz notes: “Not every honors student is an emergent scholar, and not every emergent scholar is an honors student.” 

A noteworthy facet of Emergent Scholars is the selection of a faculty mentor, which underscores the collaborative nature of academic success at an institution like Etown. The nature of the college allows for meaningful collaboration between students and faculty, which is highlighted in the structure of the Emergent Scholars award. 

Having been named by multiple Emergent Scholars as a mentor, Benowitz describes the experience as both humbling and rewarding. 

“The first time I was ever recognized as an emergent scholar faculty member was in 2004,” Benowitz said. “This year there will be three emergent scholar students who will recognize me as a mentor, and it is an enormous honor to be cited as having a role in their success.”

Benowitz likewise makes note of the fact that the recognition as an Emergent Scholar puts students in good standing for pursuing later academic opportunities

“All Emergent Scholars are encouraged to apply for prestigious scholarships and fellowships,” Benowitz emphasized. 

The Emergent Scholars award showcases the College’s commitment to student success and recognizes the hard work of students who have managed to maintain a high GPA during one of the more stressful times of their undergraduate careers.