OXFORD — Eighteen students from Mississippi and four others from Alabama, Illinois, Tennessee and Texas enter the University of Mississippi this fall on prestigious scholarships to the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

Chioma Udemgba of Natchez was a recipient of the the scholarship.

Udemgba attended Mississippi School for Math and Sciences and was listed in Who’s Who Among American High School Students and was a United States Achievement award winner. A co-captain of the soccer team, she also volunteered at the local soup kitchen and was a volunteer reader for Read Across America.

She plans to study physics as a pre-med student.

The McDonnell Barksdale Honors Scholarships, Donald S. Pichitino Scholarships and Harold Parker Memorial Scholarships, at $32,000 each,

are attracting top-notch students to UM to experience the college’s special academic opportunities.

During their freshman year, Honors College students take interdisciplinary courses not offered

elsewhere in the university, which expose them to critical thinking in

the arts, sciences and humanities.

They also enroll in honors sections of courses in various disciplines to fulfill hours in their majors or to meet general requirements.