This spring, the UC Irvine Scholarship Opportunities Program (SOP) is hosting the 20th Annual Breakfast of Champions to celebrate the 2024-25 prestigious scholarship and award winners, alternates, and semi-finalists. This year, among the nearly 50 students recognized were the winners of the Goldwater Scholarship, the Fulbright Killam Fellowship, the Donald A. Strauss Scholarship, the Churchill Scholarship, and Fulbright U.S. student grants.
In addition to recognizing scholarship recipients, the Breakfast of Champions provides an opportunity to thank the faculty and staff who encouraged and assisted students through the scholarship application process. Anchored by the SOP, this network of support is a major factor in UC Irvine’s strong performance in producing successful scholarship candidates. Over its 35-year history, the SOP has helped generate: 376 National Science Foundation Fellows, 80 Fulbright recipients, 64 Strauss Scholars, 38 Goldwater Scholars, 34 California Capital Fellows, eight Truman Scholars, four Gates-Cambridge Scholars, three Marshall Scholars, three Fulbright Killam Fellows, three National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholars, one Rhodes Scholar, and one Churchill Scholar.
This year’s Breakfast of Champions invites Michael Dennin (UC Irvine Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning, Dean of Undergraduate Education, and Professor of Physics & Astronomy) and Hal Stern (UC Irvine Provost, Executive Vice Chancellor, and Professor of Statistics) to address the honorees, their loved ones, and the faculty and staff who supported them.
“Speaking at the Breakfast of Champions and getting the chance to congratulate the students directly is an honor I look forward to every year,” said Vice Provost Dennin. “I’m incredibly proud of all the honorees, and I know I speak for the entire campus when I say we cannot wait to see the positive impact and contributions these exceptional students will have on the world.”
The event will also feature three student speakers who will share their experiences working with the SOP and express what winning their respective awards means for them and their futures. “It is an honor to be invited to speak and celebrate the efforts and achievements of my fellow students and colleagues,” said Grant Lai, fourth-year Chemistry and Biological Sciences double-major and UC Irvine’s first-ever Churchill Scholarship recipient. “As it is my last quarter at UC Irvine, I am both happy and sad to be honored at this year’s Breakfast of Champions.”
UC Irvine 2024-25 Breakfast of Champions Winners and Honorees
On behalf of the UC Irvine Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Division of Undergraduate Education, and SOP, we ask that you join us in recognizing the incredible students who competed in the 2024-25 cycle of prestigious scholarships and awards. These students represent UC Irvine’s dedication to academic excellence, research, and service, and they deserve to be celebrated for their hard work and accomplishments. See the list of all undergraduate scholarship recipients, alternates, and semi-finalists below:
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- Recipient, Churchill Scholarship: Grant Lai
- Recipient, Goldwater Scholarship: Amanda Fang
- Recipient, Goldwater Scholarship: Luke Xia
- Recipient, Fulbright Killam: Grace Kampmeinert
- Recipient, Donald A. Strauss Scholarship: Alexis Lopez-Rodriguez
- Recipient, Donald A. Strauss Scholarship: Cynthia Ortiz
- Alternate, Donald A. Strauss Scholarship: Manasvini Varatharaj
- Alternate, California Capital Fellows: Zeyneb Karatas
- Alternate, Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship: Nikki Khong
- Alternate, Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship: Kaye Regalado
- Semi-Finalist, Fulbright Study Research Award: Anisa Johnson
- Semi-Finalist, Fulbright Study Research Award: William Mason
- Semi-Finalist, Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship: Brooklyn Crockett
- Semi-Finalist, Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship: Sabrina Henderson
- Semi-Finalist, Knight-Hennessey Scholars: Joia Capocchi
About the UC Irvine SOP
Housed within the Division of Undergraduate Education and overseen by the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, the SOP was established in 1990 to assist UC Irvine undergraduates and recent alumni in applying for 21 internationally prestigious, merit-based awards. The SOP provides advising and support services and manages the university-level application review and endorsement process for awards that require campus nomination.
Students interested in learning more about or applying for prestigious scholarships and awards can visit the SOP website for more information. To keep up with the SOP’s latest news and updates, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
