The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will welcome 14 students this fall as the newest class of Haslam Leadership Scholars. Established in 2008 with a gift from Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Jim and Natalie Haslam, the Haslam Leadership Scholars program honors the family’s legacy of developing community-focused and intellectually gifted young leaders. Participants receive an endowed scholarship that covers tuition, fees, and room and board as well as a paid internship and a study abroad experience, with the intention to attract, cultivate and retain future Tennessee leaders.
“Each year, we are inspired by the remarkable depth of talent, leadership and purpose among our applicants from across Tennessee and the nation,” said Patrick Akos, associate vice provost and executive director of University Honors. “This newest cohort of Haslam Leadership Scholars exemplifies what it means to lead with integrity, serve with compassion and aspire toward transformational impact. As members of this leadership community, they will engage in rigorous academic and experiential learning, develop lifelong leadership competencies, and be fully supported to create meaningful change within the university and across the state of Tennessee.”
Meet the 2025 Haslam Leadership Scholars
Davis Baxter of Knoxville plans to pursue a degree in accounting. His leadership roles at his high school include vice president of the student government association and CEO of the entrepreneurship program. He also served as board member of his school’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) chapter, earning both state and national recognition. Baxter served two terms as an appointed member of the Town of Farragut Education Relations Committee and graduated from Youth Leadership Knoxville in 2024. As an Eagle Scout, he led a project benefiting St. Mark United Methodist Church, where he is a member and active in the youth group. A fifth-generation farmer on his family’s farm, Baxter has developed an appreciation for and connection to agriculture, conservation and his family.
Keaton Cook of Clinton, Tennessee, intends to double major in finance and accounting, influenced by his experiences with his family’s small photography business. He was a founding member of Clinton’s Historic Downtown Youth Board and helped raise over $12,500 to revitalize the city’s downtown district. Cook re-founded his school’s DECA chapter and has competed at both the state and international levels. He attended Tennessee American Legion’s Boys State and was a member of Anderson County Youth Leadership, where he represented his student body for the 2024-25 school year. Cook served his school as both National Honor Society and student government president and has received the AP Scholar Award from the College Board. In his free time, Cook enjoys playing tennis and golf and running.
Caroline Garrell of Petersburg, Tennessee, plans to study natural resources and environmental economics. She was named an AP Scholar with Distinction by the College Board and graduated with honors from her high school — also receiving its Citizenship Award. Garrell was the state’s 4-H leadership project winner, having coordinated a weeklong event for three years with UT’s Panhellenic Council and Knoxville Habitat for Humanity to raise $37,000 for their Women Build program. She has conducted a ceremony honoring service members who are prisoners of war or missing in action, helped an elementary school send 600 Christmas cards to troops serving overseas, and led other service projects as president of the 4-H Honor Club and a member of the 4-H All Star Regional Council. Garrell represents the sixth generation to live on her family’s farm and was a state 4-H winner in veterinary science, beef, citizenship and public speaking. She serves on the board of the American Black Hereford Junior Association and owns and exhibits Hereford, Simmental and Black Hereford cattle on the state and national levels.
Ava Heuston of Clarksville, Tennessee, plans to major in public affairs and pursue law school after graduating. A Girl Scout for 13 years, she earned the Bronze and Silver awards before achieving her Gold Award for developing a website promoting Korean culture through education. She attended the Korean School of Nashville, where she served as a volunteer assistant teacher for three years. As president of her school’s speech and debate and mock trial teams, she helped lead them to four consecutive district championships and multiple district titles. She also earned four state awards at Tennessee’s state mock trial competition, including Best Prosecuting Attorney and Best Defense Attorney. Heuston is a recipient of her school’s Best Citizen Award, vice president of Junior Civitan, a tutor for Mu Alpha Theta, a student council representative and the head photography editor of her school’s nationally recognized yearbook. As the top singles player for her school’s varsity tennis team, Heuston helped the team make sectionals and earned an individual spot in the regional finals in singles.
Izzy Hollman of Gallatin, Tennessee, plans to major in public affairs and aspires to become a United States senator. She served as speaker of the senate at Girls State and floor leader at Youth in Government. At the Governor’s School for the Sciences and Engineering, she discovered her passion for STEM advocacy, inspiring her to found a Women in STEM club and an online research journal to elevate young girls in the field. Leading her school’s Relay for Life team, she raised awareness and funds for cancer research. Hollman serves as student council president and is a National Honors Society member-at-large. In her free time, she enjoys jiu-jitsu and volunteering at a senior living facility.
Caleb Hopper of Chattanooga, Tennessee, plans to major in industrial engineering. His passion for the field comes after attending the Governor’s School for Sciences and Engineering. Hopper’s leadership skills stem in part from his experiences in becoming an Eagle Scout. He is president of his school’s student government association and a leader of the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle. He enjoys playing soccer and is captain of multiple school and club teams, but his favorite leadership experience has been coaching a fourth- and fifth-grade basketball team with Upward Sports. Hopper hopes to be involved on campus through clubs and intramural sports teams while continuing to support and encourage his peers.
Chrishton King of Memphis plans to major in public affairs and finance with hopes of attending law school. As co-captain of his school’s district championship-winning mock trial team, an officer in the government club and a staff writer for the political outreach organization Strive, he is passionate about civic engagement. King also serves as the president of the Black History Club, leading student-run presentations on the subject, and led an independent research project to determine the experience of Black alumni at his school. Beyond academics, King is involved in theater productions, student mentorship programs and mental health initiatives, helping to establish stress-relief traditions at his school. His achievements have earned him numerous honors, including the National African American Recognition Program Award, the University of Rochester’s Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award, induction into the National Honor Society, the College Board’s AP Scholar with Distinction award and the Dewitt M. Shy Mock Trial Award.
Anushka Mathew of Collierville, Tennessee, plans to major in finance. Her interest in business started at a young age and continued to grow through hands-on experiences in clubs like DECA and the Technology Student Association. Mathew served as the state treasurer of Tennessee TSA and was a district representative on the Shelby County Youth Council. She previously served as vice president of her school’s TSA chapter and was selected for the state membership committee. She has attended both the Governor’s School for Technological Innovation and Business Leadership and the Governor’s School for the Arts. A two-time all-state French horn player, she played in the Memphis Youth Symphony and tutors beginning horn players. Mathew is a member of the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, National Spanish Honor Society, Beta Club and Tri-M Music Honor Society. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and performing with her quintet.
Luke Payne of Atlanta, Georgia, intends to major in business management with a minor in interdisciplinary entrepreneurship. His passion for bringing international ideas to American businesses was ignited when he participated in a summer student exchange program to Japan. Payne has served as president of his class for the past three years and given back to the greater Atlanta community as co-leader of his school’s Habitat for Humanity Club, helping his peers raise $120,000 to fund and build a home for a family in need. He has also served as a school tour guide, technical director for the broadcast journalism program and co-leader of the Young Life Club, and is a member of the National Honor Society and varsity football team. He is the recipient of his school’s Headmaster’s Award for his graduating class. He enjoys singing and playing guitar in a local band and participating in church activities in his free time.
Tiago Phielipp, born in Arizona, moved to Knoxville during his first year of high school. He plans to double major in public affairs and biology with a minor in economics to build a career in environmental law and government, a passion he discovered his freshman year of high school and confirmed through the internship he completed with GE Vernova in Washington, D.C., last summer. As a first-generation American, Phielipp discovered his passion for government and policy after joining the Model United Nations at his school. At a conference hosted by ALTMUN, a Model UN organization based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he created the International Court of Justice, the Security Council and the Security Council Crisis, and was recognized with the ALTMUN Pioneer Award. Phielipp is president of his school’s mock trial team and vice president of both the ethics bowl team and his school’s National Honor Society chapter. He won awards with both the mock trial and ethics bowl teams and was recognized with the National Hispanic Recognition Award by the College Board. Phielipp volunteers often at Second Harvest Food Bank and cleans teachers’ classrooms. He is bilingual in Spanish and enjoys reading, baking and playing pickleball with his family in his free time.
Ritisha Pradeep of Brentwood, Tennessee, intends on majoring in finance. Her passion for the field began with her DECA Finance Operations research project, which earned her international finalist recognition. She has served as president of her school’s Asian Youth and Civil Engagement club and vice president of her school’s DECA chapter and Mental Health Awareness Club. Her commitment to community service traces back to her parents’ dedication to fostering dogs, a passion she and her siblings have also embraced, and her experience with the Ravenwood Girls Cotillion, which raised over $25,000 in partnership with The Next Door, a Nashville-based substance abuse recovery center for women. In her free time, she coaches gymnastics and enjoys working out, boxing and spending time with her friends.
Lexi Roth of Knoxville plans to major in animal science and minor in business with the goal of opening her own veterinary practice. She has shadowed at local veterinary clinics and was chosen to attend a virtual VetCamp hosted by North Carolina State University to deepen her knowledge in the field. Roth pushes herself in and out of the classroom through AP courses, clubs like model United Nations and DECA, her job as a hostess, and her volunteer work at local food banks and animal shelters. She was awarded the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by the College Board and has completed over 300 hours of community service while in high school, earning the Bronze President’s Award twice. Roth is half Hungarian and fluent in the Hungarian language, which she attributes to time spent visiting family overseas. She is passionate about photography and has earned multiple awards for her work. She has worked as a camp counselor and enjoys figure skating and coaching younger skaters in her free time.
Walker Smith of Hendersonville, Tennessee, plans to major in kinesiology on the pre-medicine track with a minor in business. He aims to integrate his interests in exercise science, health care, entrepreneurship and Spanish — in which he holds national biliteracy certification — to one day establish his own medical practice. A lifelong athlete, Smith has played soccer since the age of 3, is a certified United States Soccer Federation referee, and works with his city’s parks and recreation department. At his high school, Smith served on the student council as senior class president. He is a National Merit Commended Scholar and was selected to attend the Tennessee American Legion’s Boys State, where he engaged with civic leaders from across the state and deepened his interests in public service and leadership.
Aubrey Spencer of Brentwood, Tennessee, plans to major in nursing. Her passion for the field began while traveling to Jamaica and Honduras, where she volunteered at a nursing facility for those with nutritional deficiencies and a home for the elderly. Through her high school, she has worked over 240 hours with a nonprofit organization running a summer camp in Nashville. Spencer is a mentor in her school’s Heart 2 Heart program, providing accommodations for students in need of special education services, and plans to continue her study of diverse learning styles in UT’s FUTURE Postsecondary Education Program. Spencer is her senior class president and runs her school’s student social media pages. She also leads after-school dance classes and Bible studies and is captain of her school’s varsity competitive dance and cheer programs. Spencer recently received her school’s Founder’s Award, given to a senior based on exemplary academics, extracurricular engagement and citizenship. In her free time, she finds joy in taking Pilates classes, baking sweet treats and wake surfing.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Maggie Palmer (865-974-3993, mpalme19@utk.edu)