Tristan Henson, a member of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts Class of 2026, has been named a Horatio Alger National Scholar.
Henson was one of 105 recipients of the Class of 2026 Horatio Alger National Scholarship, sponsored by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. National Scholars receive a $25,000 scholarship to apply toward educational costs of the college or university of their choice. They also have access to a variety of Alger Association-provided resources including counseling and referral services, career exploration opportunities and association alumni connections.
The Alger Association — named for Horatio Alger Jr., a renowned 19th century author whose tales of overcoming adversity through unyielding perseverance and basic moral principles were popular — is a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education.
Henson of Maumelle plans to attend Columbia University in New York City this fall to major in political science with a specification in international relations. He described the application process as “extremely strenuous” compared to other programs for which he applied. He was initially unaware that the program in which he was primarily competing awarded only 105 scholarships nationwide. Rather than asking for his accomplishments or measuring his intelligence, the application asked him to describe how he viewed success and how it would impact his life.
“In my application, I wrote about making something out of nothing, finding new opportunities and dreaming of sharing my wealth with my peers,” he said. “In the last year, the Horatio Alger workshops and monthly meetings I’ve attended have reinforced that they truly believe in the best in people, in myself, and all it takes is dedication and bravery to achieve our dreams.”
The association also provided advice on how to navigate financial aid, scholarships and other info that was beneficial throughout his college application process, Henson said.
“Over the last year, I’ve had dozens of meetings with the association itself and my advisor. Due to a summer program, I knew which colleges I wanted (to apply to) by early August,” he said.
Henson encouraged students to begin working on the application early, as the normal application process takes place during their junior year. The process includes several essays which take time. “I believe we should all motivate ourselves to start as early as possible. That way dreams are realities sooner and more ASMSA students can become Horatio Alger Scholars,” Henson said.