Flinn Scholars
Providing world-class undergraduate education in partnership with Arizona’s public universities.
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The Flinn Scholarship
The Flinn Scholarship isn’t about what you get. It’s about who you become and the impact you make. With the world-class education made possible by the Flinn Scholarship, you can become an agent of discovery, creativity and leadership who will make a difference.
The Flinn Scholarship—valued at more than $135,000—covers tuition, fees, housing, and meals at one of Arizona’s public universities, plus study abroad. Each year, about 20 top Arizona high-school seniors are chosen to learn from amazing faculty, business leaders, and civic innovators and join a vibrant, eclectic community—including a powerful alumni network.
What’s the Flinn Scholar blueprint? There is none. Scholars emerge from throughout Arizona and become leaders in every discipline you can imagine.
79 Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists advance to interviews
The 79 Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists from the Class of 2026 represent not only extraordinary academic achievement, but the breadth of Arizona itself. From border communities to the Colorado Plateau. From the state’s largest cities to its smallest towns.
The Arizona high-school seniors emerged from a competitive pool of 1,150 applications submitted in October. The 79 Semifinalists reside in 12 of Arizona’s 15 counties and attend 63 high schools, a mix of traditional public, charter, and private schools.
The Semifinalists will participate in virtual interviews in January. Approximately half will be selected as Finalists and the Flinn Scholars Class of 2026 will be announced in April. [Read more]
Flinn Scholars engage with 2025 Centennial Lecturer Anthony Robles
Flinn Scholars gathered in October for an inspiring conversation with Anthony Robles, NCAA wrestling champion, author, motivational speaker, and the 2025 Flinn Foundation Centennial Lecturer at Arizona State University. Robles, born with one leg, is also the subject of the 2024 movie, “Unstoppable.”
Before Robles delivered his public address for the ASU Centennial Lecture, an annual event funded by a Flinn Foundation endowment established in 1985 to commemorate the university’s centennial, he met privately with Flinn Scholars from Arizona’s three public universities.
His message of resilience and purpose struck a personal chord with Diego Chavez, a Class of 2022 Flinn Scholar and senior at ASU who once attended a wrestling camp with Robles. [Read more]
Study abroad trip to Greece proves life-changing for two Flinn Scholars
Sriya Ramisetty and Taylor Raney, two Class of 2023 Flinn Scholars attending the University of Arizona W.A. Franke Honors College, reflect on their opportunity to travel to Greece this past June as part of a study abroad program that emphasized experiential, personalized, and reflective learning grounded in writing practices.
The three-week trip to Athens, the Cycladic Islands, and Crete was fully funded by the Flinn Scholarship, which provides two study abroad opportunities including a group seminar after freshman year. The Scholars visited popular tourist sites, famous for their archaeological and mythological significance, but also took time to experience the more “forgotten” places. [Read more]
Flinn Scholar alum Katherine Larson returns to Foundation to celebrate new book
The Flinn Scholar community gathered Saturday, Oct. 4 to celebrate the release of “Wedding of the Foxes” with poet, essayist, and ecologist Katherine Larson from the Flinn Scholar Class of 1996.
Joined in conversation by Class of 1993 Flinn Scholar and Flinn Foundation Chief Administrative Officer Matt Ellsworth, Larson shared an afternoon of poetry, reflection, and generous dialogue that beautifully illustrated the intersections of science, art, and lived experience.
The event was a testament to the power of bringing Scholars together across generations to share their stories, inspire one another, and continue the tradition of curiosity and discovery. [Read more]
Alumni Voices: Ravi Ram
Flinn Scholar alum Ravi Ram from the Class of 2009 designs and facilitates leadership development and executive education programs for organizations around the world. Before starting his own business, he worked as an executive at Springboard, an education-technology startup in San Francisco, and as a management consultant at McKinsey.
Ram said being a Flinn Scholar was a life-changing experience because of three things: (1) having immersive experiences across multiple countries and languages; (2) being part of the Flinn community: caring, intelligent, fun-loving, and curious Scholars with a multitude of passions alongside kind and helpful mentors/alums/advisors; and (3) attending a large public university. [Read more]
Details For
A great Flinn Scholarship application has many components. But we only select students we believe we really know. Be yourself.
There are a number of specific ways throughout your student’s high-school years to help ensure a strong application and candidacy.
In addition to student-submitted materials, the application requires two teacher recommendations and a high-school academic counselor’s report.
News and Updates
Flinn Scholars
Alumni Voices: Sharad Desai
On Jan. 7, 2025, President Biden appointed me to serve as a United States District Judge for the District of Arizona. In this role, I preside over both criminal and civil cases as a trial court judge based in the Sandra Day O’Connor courthouse in Phoenix. My criminal cases include charges for illegal reentry into the United States, drug and weapons trafficking, violent crimes, and financial crimes.
Flinn Scholars
79 Semifinalists named for Flinn Scholarship
The 79 Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists from the Class of 2026 represent not only extraordinary academic achievement, but the breadth of Arizona itself. From border communities to the Colorado Plateau. From the state’s largest cities to its smallest towns. The Arizona high-school seniors emerged from a competitive pool of 1,150 applications submitted in October. They are scientists and artists, athletes and peer mentors, […]
Flinn Scholars
Flinn Scholars share memories of first Flinn CEO John Murphy
John Murphy’s death in October at the age of 88 prompted Flinn Scholars to reflect on the transformative moments they spent with him as well as advice and encouragement that helped lead to many rich lives and careers in service to Arizona and beyond. Murphy, the Flinn Foundation’s first CEO—and first employee—who retired in 2009, […]
Flinn Scholars
Alumni Voices: Ingrid Burger, M.D., Ph.D.
I am a radiologist and spent the first 12 years of my career working at Kaiser hospital in Los Angeles, where I was the chief of the ultrasound section and assistant program director for the radiologist residency program. I love my work and feel lucky to have found a specialty in medicine that suits my personality.
For information about Flinn Scholars, please contact:
flinnscholars@flinn.org or (602) 744-6802
