Grace Hackworth, a Health Sciences major from Fort Worth, Texas, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Hesburgh Scholarship, awarded to four University of Missouri undergraduates for their achievements in the general education program.

Hackworth is pursuing a Bachelor of Health Science in Health Sciences with a pre-professional emphasis, along with minors in biological sciences and women and gender studies. She plans to attend medical school to become an OB-GYN. She was nominated by Thomas Kane of the Kinder Institute, who praised her as “ethical, compassionate, measured.”

In addition to her academic success, Hackworth is involved in undergraduate research at NextGen Precision Health, serves as a family resource specialist with Tigers Connect through MU Health Care and volunteers with Kappa Kappa Gamma. She has also gained clinical experience by shadowing at MU Health Care, where she will begin training as a clinical care team associate next semester.

The Hesburgh Scholarship, named in honor of longtime Notre Dame president Father Theodore Hesburgh, celebrates the importance of a liberal arts education and is awarded annually to one student from each undergraduate class. It’s meant to highlight the vital role of general education courses in ensuring all graduates leave Mizzou with a well-rounded foundation of knowledge.