Stamps Scholars Program
The Stamps Scholarship
The Stamps Scholarship is the most generous merit award offered at Elizabethtown College. Each year, approximately seven incoming first-year students receive the scholarship which covers full tuition to attend Etown as well as an enrichment fund.
The Stamps Scholars Program recognizes and rewards exceptional students who exemplify leadership, perseverance, scholarship, service, overcoming obstacles, and innovation.
Dr. E. Roe and Penny Stamps
This national scholarship program is thanks to the vision and commitment of benefactors E. Roe Stamps and his late wife Penny. In 2000, Penny and Roe began funding merit-based scholarships for the Stamps Georgia Tech President’s Scholars. Six years later, through their vision and generosity, the Stamps Scholars Program was launched at Georgia Tech and the University of Michigan. This innovative program has funded numerous multi-year scholarships for students at multiple colleges and universities nationwide.
Learn More About the National Stamps Scholars ProgramElizabethtown College Stamps Scholars
Etown's Stamps Scholars Program was founded in 2011 and is part of a national network of institutions that offer the Stamps Scholarship, including the University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue, and U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Our current Stamps Scholars include 28 students, with 11% involved in athletics, 21% participating in campus art clubs, and 29% identifying as people of color.
Meet Etown's Stamps ScholarsMeet the Program Director & Faculty Guides
Dr. Jean Pretz
Program Directorpretzj@etown.edu | (717-361-1267)
Dr. Jean Pretz has been the Director of the Elizabethtown College Stamps Scholars Program since its start in 2011. She is also a professor in the Psychology Department. Dr. Pretz enjoys the opportunity to mentor talented and ambitious students in the Stamps Scholars program. Through the program activities, she strives to create a supportive community that gives each scholar room to explore and discern their own path while challenging them to discover their sense of purpose and calling.
Faculty Guides
- Dr. Anya Goldina, Associate Professor of Biology - Faculty Guide for Class of 2025
- Dr. Shannon Haley-Mize, Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Center for Global Understanding and Peacebuilding - Faculty Guide for Class of 2026
- Dr. Tomas Estrada, Associate Professor of Engineering & Physics - Faculty Guide for Class of 2027
- Prof. Emily Frantz, Assistant Teaching Professor & Director of Music Therapy Program - Faculty Guide for Class of 2028
Stamps Scholar Program Activities
Stamps Scholars at Elizabethtown College engage in a wide range of activities that foster personal growth, community, and global awareness. Scholars participate in annual events, dinners, game nights, and retreats featuring team-building activities and challenges. They also connect with peers and alumni through national conventions, with opportunities to network, learn, and explore.
Service is a key component of the program, with Scholars contributing through initiatives like "Into the Streets," the Stamps Scholars Day of Service, and volunteering with organizations such as ECHOS and Caitlin’s Smiles. Many Stamps Scholars also study or travel abroad, gaining cultural insights in destinations such as France, Spain, Hungary, Jordan, South Africa, Argentina, and New Zealand.
Resources for Current Stamps Scholars
There are a number of resources that help to support current Stamps Scholars at Elizabethtown College in their academic, leadership, and personal development.
- Stamps Scholars general website
- Stamps Scholars Connect Site
Stamps Scholar Successes
From academic excellence to global experiences, the Stamps Scholars at Etown have a remarkable record of success, as highlighted by their achievements in academics, prestigious fellowships, study abroad, and professional careers.
| Average size of each class of Stamps Scholars: | 7 |
| Average number of semi-finalists interviewed for the scholarship: | 20 |
| Number of current Stamps Scholars: | 28 |
| Percentage of current Stamps Scholars who identify as people of color: | 29% |
| First graduating class of Etown Stamps Scholars: | Class of 2015 |
| Number of Etown Stamps alumni: | 45 |
| Stamps alumni who completed the Honors program: | 63% |
| Stamps alumni who received Etown Distinguished Student Awards: | 11 |
| Stamps alumni who received the Etown Points of Distinction Award (the highest honor given to any graduating senior): | 2 |
| Stamps alumni who studied abroad: | 56% |
| Stamps alumni who studied abroad in more than one country: | 4 |
| Record number of countries in which Stamps alumni studied: | 5 |
| Stamps alumni who received Fulbright fellowships for post-graduate teaching or research abroad: | 7 |
| Graduate schools attended: | Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, West Virginia University, University of Florida law school |
| Medical schools attended: | Ohio State University, Oxford University, Penn State College of Medicine |
| Employers: | Google, M&T Bank, Colonial Williamsburg, Eurofins, UNICEF, Elsevier Publishing, Willis Towers Watson Financial Services |