Two area residents are among 21 outstanding Mississippi State University students receiving 2023-24 Presidential Endowed Scholarships, the university’s most prestigious undergraduate award.

Lamar High School graduate Anne Preston McRae, a political science major, received the Hal and Linda Parker Presidential Endowed Scholarship. She is the daughter of John and Jennifer Wicker McRae of Meridian.

Lexi Holdiness, a graduate of the Mississippi School for Math and Science, received the Louis A. Hurst Jr. Presidential Scholars Endowment. She is a psychology and biochemistry major with a pre-medicine emphasis. Lexi is the daughter of Jeremy and Tina Holdiness and a former student at Enterprise High School.

Presidential Scholars are members of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and possess strong academic skills, creativity and a drive for success.

Endowment-level gifts for the scholarships provide students with financial support to cover the cost of attending the university for four years. The experience offers a one-time educational enrichment scholarship for study-abroad opportunities, internships or other qualified academic pursuits, an undergraduate research fellowship award and mentoring opportunities.

To qualify, applicants must have a minimum 30 ACT/1330 SAT score, as well as have graduated with a minimum core or overall 3.75 high school GPA (based on a 4.0 scale). Recipients are expected to maintain an overall 3.4 GPA in their respective academic majors.

Presidential Scholars have opportunities to interact with members of the land-grant institution’s extensive research faculty and be part of the honors college’s summer-study program at Oxford University in England, among other enhanced learning experiences.