Eureka College Announces 2023 Reagan Leadership Fellow Selections
EUREKA – Eureka College is proud to announce the three freshmen from the class of 2027 who have been chosen as Reagan Fellows in the Ronald W. Reagan Leadership Program.
The new Reagan Fellows are Michael Beaumont of Greenup, Illinois, Elijah Dew of El Reno, Oklahoma, and Maleah Hill of Peoria, Illinois. They were chosen out of a group of 41 semifinalists.
The award, based on leadership, service and academic excellence, includes a full-tuition scholarship over four years, as well as global travel and professional mentorship opportunities.
Beaumont is coming to Eureka after a prolific and diverse career at Cumberland High School. He was the valedictorian of his class, a captain of the cross country team, a captain on his club soccer team and the class treasurer. He also competed in varsity football and track, was an individual state qualifier for the math team, helping Cumberland place second overall, and he helped his team place second in the regional ACES competition. An active member of and a leader within his community, Beamont launched his own mobile coffee business, The Caffinator, in 2022. At Eureka, he plans to pursue a degree in business administration.
An honors student at El Reno High School, Dew has been an active participant in his community. He has volunteered for El Reno Blessing Baskets since 2019, boxing and distributing food for Families with Children Summer Food Program and COVID Relief Food Program, as well as toys and cleaning supplies for the Christmas Program. The son of a minister, he is a junior deacon and audio and visual assistant at First Christian Church. He has served on the Regional Youth Council of Oklahoma Christian Church, as well as the El Reno High School Student Council. He also played baseball at El Reno. He plans to study psychology and occupational therapy at Eureka.
Hill will soon become a Richwoods High School graduate after four years of participating in a variety of extra-curricular activities. She was a senior captain and a four-year member of the Richwoods’ dance team, the Royalettes. She was also a four-year member of the Student Council, most recently serving as Speaker of the House, and a four-year member of the Interact Club, a group that provides volunteering opportunities. She played tennis for three years and participated in For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics for two years.
An International Baccalaureate student, she also oversees media at her church. Hill, who hasn’t chosen a major yet, is eager to get involved and take full advantage of her opportunity.
In addition to receiving full tuition, Reagan Fellows participate in workshops and retreats throughout the school year. During the summers of their sophomore and junior years, Reagan Fellows participate in mentorships with leaders in their field within the United States and abroad. The program provides funding to support travel and living expenses for the mentorships.
About the Reagan Leadership Program
The Reagan Leadership Program is in its 39th year. Long before he was the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan was a vital member of the Eureka College community and a graduate of the 1932 class.
About Eureka College
Located on nearly 70 wooded acres in Eureka, Illinois, and chartered in 1855, Eureka College cultivates excellence in learning, service and leadership while providing students uniquely personalized educational opportunities.
Eureka College holds the unique distinction of being the first college in Illinois and only the third in the nation to admit men and women on an equal basis. The College, originally founded by abolitionist members of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is the smallest of only 24 colleges and universities to ever award a bachelor’s degree to a future President of the United States.