Montana State University awards Cameron Presidential Scholarships to 10 students

BOZEMAN - Ten students at Montana State University have been awarded the Cameron Presidential Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year. The award extends the MSU Presidential Scholarship to current students in the university's Honors College. The students each receive financial support during their undergraduate studies and are chosen for their academic achievements, leadership abilities and commitment to public service.

"This year's Cameron Scholarship Selection Committee faced an especially difficult task because the applicant pool was so strong," said Richard Badenhausen, dean of MSU's Honors College. "These 10 students have already made their mark on MSU's community inside and outside the classroom, and we expect they will continue to have a positive impact on the world long after they graduate."

The Cameron family, which homesteaded north of Great Falls more than 125 years ago, ran the Dana Ranch in Cascade for nearly a century. The family created the scholarship program through a $4 million endowment gift in 2017. Nancy Cameron, her brother, David, and his wife, Tanya, are all MSU alumni or former faculty.

The 2026 Cameron Presidential Scholarship recipients are listed below in alphabetical order.

Samuel Adhikary from Kathmandu, Nepal, is entering his sophomore year and majoring in community health with a minor in human development. He graduated from high school with an Academic Merit Award, ranking in the top three in his program. Adhikary works as an undergraduate research assistant at MSU Social Data Collection and Analysis Services and is a board member of the MSU Nepali Students' Society. Previously, he worked as the program director for Nawa Upakar Drug Rehabilitation Clinic in Kathmandu, where he led public health and outreach initiatives. He plans to establish his own rehabilitation clinic focusing on evidence-based, holistic individualized care.

Neva Clark, a junior from Great Falls, is pursuing a dual degree in biochemistry and cell biology and neuroscience. At MSU, she is involved with the Office of Admissions as an AdvoCat tour guide, an orientation leader and a student ambassador. She also participates in Students for Suicide Prevention and Being Doing Becoming, focused on destigmatizing and embracing mental health. This summer, she has begun research in the Bothner lab on polyphenolic compounds and hopes to continue it throughout her time at MSU. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and explore her interest in patent litigation.

Macy Cotton, a senior from Bigfork, is majoring in political science and philosophy. She is expected to graduate in the spring of 2027. Cotton participates in a variety of service and leadership activities as well as extracurriculars such as Model United Nations. Cotton has studied abroad in Venice, Italy, and will spend the upcoming academic year studying in Taiwan and Australia. This summer, she is interning in the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C., through the Baucus Leaders program. She hopes to attend law school and build a career focused on international law, diplomacy and international women's rights.

Kerrianne Kimbrell, a junior from Vancouver, Washington, will graduate from the Honors College with a double major in political science and film. She plans to pursue a career in film before attending law school, followed by a legal career specializing in artificial intelligence regulation, policy and litigation. Deeply committed to public service, Kimbrell was a member of the 2025 Baucus Leaders D.C. group, interning in Sen. Patty Murray's office in Washington. On campus she has become an MSU Exponent newswriter, student-athlete tutor and Pi Beta Phi's vice president of community relations. This fall she plans to intern at the Office of County Attorney in Gallatin County.

Kendra Lien, a senior from Billings, is majoring in food and nutrition with a dietetics focus and minoring in business administration. At MSU, she is the former president of the Montana Student Dietetics Association and a member of campus ministry groups. She also mentors a middle school student through the Child Advancement Project and volunteers with the nonprofit organization HRDC. Currently, she conducts undergraduate research with Turtle Island Tales, a cancer prevention and wellness intervention program for Indigenous communities and works in Nutrition Services at Bozeman Health. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and become a registered dietitian.

Jonah Metz is a junior from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, studying philosophy. He is passionate about applying skills learned in philosophy to think through complex problems and bring insight into current issues. At MSU, Metz has been involved with the Associated Students of Montana State University as an at-large senator. He has also worked as a resident assistant in the residence halls and currently serves as the community service chair for the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon. During the upcoming academic year, Metz will work with a local nonprofit board through MSU's Boardroom Bobcats leadership program. He will also serve as a student fellow in the Honors College.

Siri Pilate, a senior from Duluth, Minnesota, is double majoring in psychology and political science. She is the social media officer and secretary for the MSU Nordic Ski Club and also coaches youth skiing in Spanish through the Bridger Ski Foundation. On campus, she works as a trip leader for Outdoor Recreation, an office assistant in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, and works off campus as a server at a restaurant. In the summer, she is a whitewater raft guide in Minnesota. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in public policymaking and legal advocacy.

Caleb Szajkowski, a sophomore from Eagle River, Alaska, is majoring in history and political science with a French minor. At MSU, he is involved with a student-directed public interest advocacy organization and state political campaigns. He also conducts research with political science professor Paul Lachapelle and is a co-founder of BridgeMSU, a program designed to support incoming students as they enter MSU. Szajkowski is also active in MSU's student government and volunteers as a student advocate at Campus Civil Rights and at Bienvenidos Bozeman. In the future, he hopes to study abroad in France, attend graduate school and eventually have a career in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Addie Throop is a sophomore from Goldendale, Washington, majoring in English writing. Having been accepted into MSU's accelerated Master of Arts in English program, she aims to enter the publishing industry as an editor while writing her own manuscripts. She sits on the Dean's Advisory Council for the Honors College and recently earned the Department of English's Mary Beth Vender Fay award. Throop was also inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society. She works as a research assistant for English professor Doug Downs and as an office assistant with the Center for Faculty Excellence. She is a member of the MSU Backcountry Squatters club and spends her summers working as a lifeguard and swim instructor.

Luke Winchell, a sophomore from Billings, is majoring in cell biology and neuroscience with a pre-medicine focus, along with minors in psychology and Hispanic studies. At MSU, Winchell serves as the Residence Hall Association president and conducts research on autism and language acquisition at MSU's BioReD Hub, an interdisciplinary training and research site that brings together engineering, nursing and computer science to advance lifesaving technologies. Winchell volunteers with the Eagle Mount Horticulture Program to facilitate adaptive recreation and serves as a volunteer EMT with Red Lodge Fire Rescue. This summer, he is conducting research at MSU as a scholar with Montana INBRE - the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence - and the Undergraduate Scholars Program. After graduation, Winchell plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in cardiothoracic surgery.