Former Arapahoe students Katie Hatstat and Meredith Lutz were named Goldwater Scholars through the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. The foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Barry M. Goldwater, a five-term United States senator, and provides scholarships to highly qualified college students who intend to pursue careers in science, mathematics and engineering.

A 2012 graduate of Arapahoe, Hatstat is a junior at Rhodes College in Tennessee. A chemistry and neuroscience double major, Hatstat has been conducting research since her freshman year at Rhodes with Professor Mauricio Cafiero in the school’s chemistry department. Hatstat is a Rhodes Diplomat, a resident advisor, plays on the women’s soccer team, works as a chemistry peer-tutor and is a member of the Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honor Society.

A 2013 graduate of Arapahoe, Lutz is a sophomore at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. A double major in Animal Behavior and Applied Mathematics, she currently conducts research with capuchin monkeys at the Bucknell primate lab. She is also a tutor and section leader for the school’s biology department.

Students cannot apply for the scholarship, but rather must be nominated by their institutions. Of more than 1,200 applicants throughout the country, only 260 were named Goldwater Scholars this year.