Tier One Scholars are high-achievers and their scholarship allows them to pursue their goals without limitations. Read more about their achievements and experiences in research, study abroad, leadership, extracurricular activities, and other accomplishments.

	Ton La: Excellence in Academics Leads to Achievement Sophomore Tier One Scholar Ton La is the definition of a true spotlight. In high school, La was a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, and continued his membership when he discovered he could remain involved with the organization in college as a student council representative. more...
	Katie Teeters: Embracing Opportunities and Giving Back Katie Teeters had an eventful summer. From studying abroad in Italy to pursuing research on Liberal Nationalism, Teeters took full advantage of the unique benefits afforded to her by the Tier One Scholars Program.more...
	Nick Pessarra: Abroad in France Nicholas Pessarra’s big city dreams came true after being admitted to the University of Houston as a Tier One Scholar where he went on to travel to lavish Angers, France — completing a minor in French — while currently studying creative writing and advertising.more...
	Lauren Tolat: Success in the Lab Lauren Tolat is a sophomore Tier One, Honors College student studying pre-pharmacy with interests in law and a potential PharmD/JD program, who discovered the rewards of biomedical research that could someday lead to new therapies to prevent heart disease with support from the Tier One research stipend.more...
	Roya Zamani: Exploring Medical Research Research has piqued Roya Zamani’s curiosity for most of her life. "I have always been interested in the process itself and how studying small pathways can help us with understanding larger phenomena." Roya was admitted to UH in fall 2010 through the Houston Premedical Academy (HPA), a competitive program offered through the Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions. more...
	Waqaar Diwan: Discovering the Value of Research In his first year of college, Waqaar Diwan, business major and biology minor, was determined to focus on his studies and adjust to life at the University of Houston, “I had just started college, my goal was to get all A’s, I didn’t care about anything else.” more...
	Sally Wong: First Tier One Scholar Graduate When Lai “Sally” Wong crosses the commencement stage as the first University of Houston Tier One Scholar, it will be the next chapter of a story that began 12 years ago in Hong Kong more...
	Cassie Gianni: Summer Abroad in Colombia A 2010 Tier One Scholar, has difficulty remembering a time when she was not fascinated with going abroad. “I think the thought entered my mind in the third or fourth grade,” she says, musing laughingly, “I went to a really diverse elementary school and was randomly put into the international students’ class.” more...