Hoffman Honors Scholars program looks ahead to second year
Prestigious scholarship welcomes new cohort
This year marks the second incoming cohort for the Hoffman Honors Scholars (HHS), which offers exceptional University of Cincinnati students in the College of Arts & Sciences, the College-Conservatory of Music, and the Lindner College of Business tuition, room, and board to UC along with numerous opportunities for leadership, service, and global engagement—including HHS-exclusive study-abroad opportunities currently in development for 2027.
HHS students receive gift bags at this year's Welcome Reception. Photo by: Joseph Fuqua
Thanks to a generous endowment from the estate of Hugh Hoffman (MBA ’63), HHS provides these high-achieving students with the skills and experiences they need to participate fully in a continuously changing world and advance career aspirations, while allowing them to pursue the field of their choice and graduate debt-free. The program also incorporates involvement opportunities with numerous community and campus partners, such as the Cincinnati Nature Center, the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and the Warren Bennis Leadership Institute.
In Fall 2024, HHS supported an inaugural cohort of twelve students; this fall, the program is proud to welcome twenty-two incoming Bearcats to A&S, LCB, and CCM. Their hometowns range from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to West Chester, OH; represented majors include Entrepreneurship, Vocal Performance, and Geology. All of them arrive with extensive histories of engagement and excellence—including activities from mock trial to Latin club, and achievement recognition at the state and national level in athletics, academics, and the arts. All incoming HHS students are additionally admitted to the University Honors Program.
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Sophia Lonnon, LCB
Sophia Lonnon, incoming HHS student
Sophia is from Louisville, KY; at UC, she will major in Marketing, and will participate in the Lindner Business Honors program in addition to HHS. Previously, she was co-president of her high school’s theatre company and International Thespian Society chapter, participated in the BLOOM Theatre Festival, and competed in Future Problem Solvers and Quick Recall. Sophia looks forward to meeting new people at UC, and taking advantage of the unique programs and opportunities available through the co-op program.
Chris Hayes, CCM
Chris Hayes, incoming HHS student
Chris Hayes is from Las Vegas, NV, and will be a Musical Theatre major at CCM. During high school he participated in many theatre programs as an actor, student aide, and director. He is a winner of the 2025 Jimmy Awards; he participated in the International Thespian Society, and attended competitions including MTCAS and the Nevada High School Musical Theatre Awards. He also participated in the LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) student visionaries program. At UC he is most looking forward to honing his skills, and to meeting new people while making new lifelong connections.
Abby Sanchez-Salmeron, A&S
Abby Sanchez-Salmeron, incoming HHS student
Abby is an incoming Philosophy major from Reston, VA. In high school, she was president of the Debate Club, taught Sunday school, and assisted her parents with starting and running their family business. She is excited to form connections at UC, continue engaging in service learning, and to grow through discomfort as she pursues her dream of becoming a lawyer.
The year ahead
HHS students look forward to a robust schedule of exclusive programming this fall, beginning with August’s Welcome Reception and Welcome Retreat. Featured speakers at this year’s reception included UC’s Provost, members of the Hoffman family, and HHS student ambassadors. Throughout the year, program events will build social connections, offer opportunities for personal and professional growth, and speak directly to the program’s core pillars: community commitment, leadership excellence, digital literacy, and global engagement.
This October, HHS students will engage in Days of Service, in collaboration with two of the program’s community partners: the Cincinnati Nature Center, and the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati. Both organizations are also beneficiaries of Hugh Hoffman’s philanthropic legacy; HHS student service there highlights the program’s lasting impact on campus and beyond, and its focus on social innovation.
Later that month, in a demonstration of the HHS investment in future-focused thinking and evolving digital literacies, the program will host a panel examining the ethical challenges related to emerging AI technologies. The discussion, which will be hosted by Dr. Kelly Cohen, AI expert and Brian H. Rowe Endowed Chair in aerospace engineering at UC, will encompass areas of interest for students across all three HHS-affiliated colleges, from creative practice to entrepreneurial innovation.
In November, HHS will partner with the Warren Bennis Leadership Institute to host a workshop intended to help students understand and further develop their individual leadership styles. This event, which is part of an extended series of collaborative programming between HHS and WBLI that fosters leadership excellence, follows related workshops on recognizing and overcoming imposter syndrome and engaging in constructive civil discourse, and lays the foundation for spring-semester intensives on leadership vision.
Featured image at top: Students at the 2025 HHS Welcome Reception. Photo/Joseph Fuqua
Learn more about HHS
Curious about what the HHS program has to offer? More details, including full biographical details about both cohorts of HHS students, are available on the HHS website; the program is also active on Instagram and LinkedIn. Contact HHS Director Whitney Menser with questions about admissions, program requirements, or events.
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