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Sarah Starko, 2026 NRF Foundation Retail’s Next Generation Scholarship top recipient
The NRF Foundation Retail's Next Generation Scholarship is the pinnacle achievement for students interested in pursuing careers in retail. This opportunity was created for students of various academic backgrounds who have demonstrated leadership skills, previous retail experience and a passion for making an impact.
This scholarship helps students develop the business, leadership, and critical-thinking skills needed to launch successful careers in retail while earning recognition among the industry's next generation of retail leaders. Since its launch, more than $900,000 in funds have been awarded through the NRF Foundation Retail's Next Generation Scholarship.
The top recipient for the NRF Foundation Retail's Next Generation Scholarship will receive a $25,000 scholarship, and the four finalists will receive $10,000 scholarships during the 2027 Honors.
The Retail's Next Generation Scholarship is currently closed for applications and will re-open in January 2027.
Ambitious students competed to represent the next generation of retail leaders.
"NRF Foundation really gives us a great platform to apply our knowledge outside of traditional classes and internships."
— Scholarship finalist Nevaeh Hearn of Drexel University.
"With the help of the NRF Foundation I'm able to have those connections with professionals — whether I want to go to supply-chain, finance, marketing, or anything else."
— Scholarship finalist Julia Yusupov, from Boston University.
Sarah Starko
Babson College
Shamya Banks
Columbia College Chicago
Madison-Jade Bishop
Drexel University
Jacquelyn Dufner
University of Minnesota
Emme Serafino
Drexel University
Sareena Askenazi
Indiana University
Anna Banyard
Indiana University
Lillee Cardinal
Indiana University
Abigail Coe
Belmont University
Ryan Gibson
Kent State University
Ayovi Gilreath
Lasell University
Nicole Jaroscak
Florida State University
Camille Jiang
LIM College
Gretchen Lee
Columbia College Chicago
JIA MEI LIN
Fashion Institute of Technology
Catherine Murphy
University of Notre Dame
Joy Navarro
LIM College
Caylin Payne
University of Georgia
Emma Perkins
East Carolina University
Polyxeni Politis
Boston University
Sammi Satori
Arizona State University
Elle Simmonds
University of Florida
Kathleen Tummino
Marist College
Brooke Ubieta
Texas A&M University
Miri Chan
Boston University
Nevaeh Hearn
Drexel University
Alicia Langlais
University of North Texas
Gabbi Mak
Indiana University
Julia Yusupov
Boston University
Shamya Banks
Columbia College Chicago
Sarah Hayden
Kent State University
Ryan Morrow
University of Iowa
Juliana Skopp-Cardillo
Montclair State University
Hope Underwood
University of Florida
Michelle Alcocer
Babson College
Anna Banyard
Indiana University
Ryan Bland
University of Notre Dame
Brett Doyon
University of Texas at Austin
Skyler Ebersole
Marist College
Megan Lee
Indiana University
Tiana Mai
FIDM
Lauren Molnar
LIM College
Bella Nichols
Mississippi State University
Jessica Okafor
Kennesaw State University
Erica Soekardono
Arizona State University
Spencer Villinski
Lasell University
Camber Walvoort
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Allison Willner
University of Notre Dame
Joanne Yeung
FIDM
Kev Addison
Indiana University
Cali Burns
University of Missouri
Fatmata Camara
LIM College
Rosinella D'Ostilio
University of Florida
Michelle Lee
University of Notre Dame
Miri Chan
Boston University
Allie Gress
Drexel University
Megan Lee
Indiana University
Shanelle Mitchell
Drexel University
Aleish Ramirez
Lim College
Darby Klemz
University Of South Carolina
Kaitlyn Robinson
Indiana University
Kate Cashen
Colorado State University Fort Collins
Elizabeth Allan
Marist College
Amaryllis Duklee
The University of Texas at Austin
Michelle Hoang
University of Houston
Marco Martinez
Indiana University
Hope Underwood
University of Florida
Lily Champine
Michigan State University
Cherokee Zarate
University of Houston
Yvonne Matias
Texas Tech University
Lorenzo Vasquez
University of Florida
Anna Cox
University of Georgia
Julia Mcnicol
Lasell University
Sky Starling
University of Georgia
Megan Marr
Lim College
Clay Lute
LIM College
Olivia Meyer
Kent State University
Hiral Patadia
FIDM
Lauren Schmahl
Indiana University
Aishwarya Bahl
Drexel University
Sophia Boyer
University of Georgia
Cameron Christensen
Indiana University
Maggie Cooley
Texas A&M University
Aurion Cooper
Texas State University
Noelle Engrassia
Lasell University
Kensley Hoover
University of Arizona
Anais Humes
Florida State University
Elyssa Jones
Ohio State University
Catherine King
Lasell University
Maureen Kirk
Ball State University
Darby Klemz
University of South Carolina
Megan Lenzi
Iowa State University
Ivonne Malagon
Columbia College Chicago
Kinsey Pastore
Auburn University
Miranda Prater
Columbia College Chicago
Ethan Roos
Indiana University
Elizabeth Slywka
Ohio State University
Emma Stambaugh
University of Texas at Austin
Carly Uhlig
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Robert Davison Long
Columbia College Chicago
Sabrina Leibowitz
Drexel University
Sarah May
Indiana University
Marcel Smith
LIM College
Brooke Williams
Ohio State University
Jessica Bradford
Purdue University
Sarah Carlson
University of Delaware
Emily Coumoutseas
LIM College
Karina Fernandes
Lasell University
Catherine Gambeski
Marist College
Chloe Ingram
Mississippi State University
Rebecca Kuzmicz
Marist College
Grace Lowhorn
Indiana University
Luke Maffia
Rutgers University
Nichole Martin
Texas A&M University
Taylor McTaggart
Indiana University
Alexandra Owings
Mississippi State University
Tyler Parod
Indiana University
Olivia Rein
University of Minnesota
Abigail Swain
University of Delaware
Amaiya Sims
Columbia College Chicago
Rachel Bennett
Savannah College of Art and Design
Eugene Choi
Santa Clara University
Sophia Van Slyke
Butler University
Madeline Wong
Santa Clara University
Camille Brown
University of Tennessee
Laura Copen
Mississippi State University
Jordan Davis
University of South Carolina
Ansley Deaton
Belmont University
Catherine Dinh
Santa Clara University
Taylor Ford
University of Georgia
Valerie Gilbert
Kent State University
Cody Hutchison
University of Arizona
Sid Kumar
Indiana University
Dayjah Lee
Indiana University
Jenna Mack
Savannah College of Art & Design - Savannah
Seanna Naylon
High Point University
Matthew Russell
Auburn University
Erin Salleee
LIM College
Kaitlyn Sifford
University of North Texas
Olivia Smith
Auburn University
Tatum Snelling
Auburn University
Ines Soares
Marist College
Parker Sylvester
University of Georgia
Qiu Wu
University of Minnesota
LeAnn Percivill
Texas A&M University
Maria Hartke
University of Arizona
Lisa Lam
University of Florida
Annie Hope Mazzola
Indiana University
Madeline Medby
LIM College
Abigail Detrick
Lasell College
Barent Getzoff
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Michelle Kerstein
North Carolina State University
Taylor Key
SCAD Atlanta
Faith Knox
Texas A&M University
Courtney Koop
University of Georgia
Elizabeth Mattingly
University of Georgia
Tyler Pharr
Meredith College
Elizabeth Soto
Indiana University
Hailey Tirado
Fashion Institute of Technology
Camila Vincent de Urquiza
University of Florida
Lara Voronkov Fredericks
Fashion Institute of Technology
Jordan Whiteman
LIM College
Kathryn Williams
Columbia College Chicago
Kelsey White
LIM College
Maryum Abdul-Hakeem
Savannah College of Art & Design - Atlanta
Manu Garikipati
Texas A&M University
Aine Mattera
Indiana University
Lauryn-Ashley Solomon
Kent State University
Collier Barksdale
University of Georgia
Raquel Benjamin
Savannah College of Art & Design - Savannah
Mary Cayten Brakefield
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Abigail Dolbeer
Indiana University
Rachel Duerksen
University of Minnesota
Mariel Emery
Florida State University
Tori Hunger
University of Iowa
Marie Johnson
Meredith College
Faith Knox
Texas A&M University
Allison Lausch
University of South Carolina
Olivia Mannion
Santa Clara University
Rebecca Olsen
East Carolina University
Grant Plotkin
Parsons School of Design
Charlotte Sandness
LIM College
Elizabeth Smith
FIDM
Kimberly Spradley
FIDM
Tinka Weener
FIDM
Jorja West
Texas Woman's University
Courtney Nash
University of Arizona
Brian Lucksinger
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Marlowe Camblin
Santa Clara University
Brittany Rhoa
Kent State University
Kelly Skoglund
University of Georgia
Natalie Alonzo
Pennsylvania State University
Shane Baglione
University of Florida
Jessa Chargois
Cornell University
Lea Chen
University of Pennsylvania
Rachelle Duperoux
Fashion Institue of Design & Merchandising
Tyshaia Earnest
Kent State University
Madeline Harpham
University of Georgia
Isabel Jimenez
Savannah College of Art and Design
Paige Lindsey
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Amaya Linsey
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Katarina Mejean
University of Delaware
Ariel Norris
Butler University
Carlo Pardo
Savannah College of Art and Design
Sadie Lee Pierce
Mississippi State University
Emylee Smith
Ohio University
Mollina So
Kent State University
Kathryn Steib
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Nick Trifelos
Butler University
Reanne Wang
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Hannah Witteried
Butler University
Kaley Suero
University of Pennsylvania
Makaela Hill
Indiana University
Jill Davis
University of Georgia
Margaret Kwon
The New School - Parsons School of Design
Danielle Mennella
LIM College
Crystal Paris
Savannah College of Art and Design - Atlanta
Sarah Botscheller
Kent State University
Elizabeth Dumont
Auburn University
Ariana Frankel
Santa Clara University
Leah Jenkins
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Savannah Kleiner
Butler University
Lisa Liu
University of Pennsylvania
Gabrielle Martinez
Mississippi State University
Laura Martinez
University of Alabama
Brenna McKeown
University of Florida
Alyssa McKinzie
Texas A&M University
Megan Miller
Lasell College
Traum-Anh Nguyen
Texas State University - San Marcos
Hannah Patrick
Drexel University
Samantha Pineda
University of Georgia
Rita Roloff
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Brenna Schlauderaff
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Victoria Shibly
Columbia College Chicago
Christian Sopoco
Texas Women's University
Matthew Talbot
East Carolina University
Emma Jumper
Mississippi State University
Ashley Biscan
University of Georgia
Grace Dusek
Texas A&M University
Macaira O'Connell
Indiana University
Rachel Weinstein
The University of Arizona
Sarah Kendzior
University of Minnesota
Biancha Felix
LIM College
Courtney Hunter
Philadelphia University
Garrett Ledbetter
Indiana University
Ashley Nudge
University of North Texas
Deema Aridi
Texas Woman's University
Evelin Castillo Chang
Drexel University
Haelee Catchpole
University of North Carolina - Greensboro
Kayla Cline
University of Houston
Christen Finkbeiner
University of Florida
Kasia Gibbs
Kent State University
Jenna Gorman
Florida State University
Samantha Hale
Auburn University
Michelle Herlihy
Ohio University
Morgan Jones
Johnson & Wales University - Providence
Samantha Lockhart
Lasell College
Dylan Mack
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Karla Maldonado
FIDM
Lucille Reynolds
University of Georgia
Kaila Richardson
Santa Clara University
Katie Thornton
Mississippi State University
Cody Villanueva
The University of Arizona
Anna Watson
Georgia Southern University
Courtney Whitaker
University of South Carolina
Carlie Jensen
Indiana University
Clay Lute
LIM College
Olivia Meyer
Kent State University
Hiral Patadia
FIDM
Lauren Schmahl
Indiana University
Abena Arkorful
Longwood University
Katherine Breuning
Florida State University
Kelley Cipriani
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Ana Maria Cruz Ospina
Pennsylvania State University
Alexa Escobar
Fashion Institute of Technology
Amanda Garza
University of Houston
Qili 'Lily' Jin
University of Arkansas
Hannah Klein
Ohio University
Kaitlyn Leonard
LIM College
Destini Long
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Morgan March
East Carolina University
Antoinette Marrero
Santa Clara University
Maxwell Olsen
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Michelle Ouellette
Lasell College
Kelly Sartorius
University of South Carolina
Adriana Solis
University of North Texas
Wendy Warbington
Georgia Southern University
Jacob Wilson
University of Phoenix
