The full-tuition scholarship is 91短视频鈥檚 highest academic award. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, community and extracurricular involvement, creativity, clarity of thought, and leadership potential. 

The Yoder Scholars program was founded by Carol and Paul R. Yoder Jr., both graduates of 1963, with a significant leadership gift to endow the scholarship. Read more about their long legacy of philanthropy here.

The Webb Scholars program honors Ada Webb, one of the first African-American students to attend the university, and Margaret (Peggy) Webb, the first African-American graduate in 1954.

Applicants were tasked with creating a 400-word conceptual response to the prompt, 鈥淭here are three types of people in the world; which are you?鈥� through the medium of a blank 3鈥漻5鈥� card in whichever way they chose.

Read about the 2025 Yoder/Webb Scholars below:

Zainab Kamran

During her senior year of high school, Zainab Kamran, a psychology major from Lahore, Pakistan, had spent two to three months researching different universities in the U.S. She had come across the Wikipedia pages for James Madison University and the city of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Those pages naturally led her right to 91短视频. 鈥淚 liked what I read about the school, but then I forgot all about it,鈥� she said.

When her older brother, who graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, mentioned that an economics professor of his (Ryan Swartzendruber 鈥�16) had graduated from 91短视频 and 鈥渓oved the experience,鈥� Kamran resumed her search. 鈥淚 started to dig deeper and was fascinated by 91短视频鈥檚 focus on community and service because those were things I was involved in,鈥� said Kamran. The school鈥檚 small size, which allows for closer connections and meaningful one-on-one interactions with professors, was also a major draw, she added.

While at International School Lahore, Kamran was president of the Community Building Society club and organized volunteers to serve free meals to those in need. On Christmas, she helped pack and distribute more than 60 gifts for Christian orphans in Lahore. She was also involved as a publication director of events on campus and collaborated with a professor on a research paper. She received the Director鈥檚 Award for Community Building and the Director鈥檚 Award for Research and Publication.

Kamran said she鈥檚 excited to take part in service- and art-related activities and clubs on campus and that she鈥檚 found a welcoming home at 91短视频. 鈥淭he people here are so friendly,鈥� she said. 鈥�91短视频 has such a diverse international student population. I鈥檝e met students from Ethiopia, Kenya, India, and Afghanistan, and it鈥檚 been a lot of fun meeting them.鈥�

Kayden Beidler

Kayden Beidler, a nursing major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is the latest in a long line of family members to attend 91短视频. His older sister, Miranda Beidler, is a senior; his parents, Lyle Beidler, class of 鈥�98, and Melissa Spory Beidler 鈥�98, met and began dating while 91短视频 students; and his aunt, Marcy Spory Weaver 鈥�08, graduated from the university鈥檚 top-tier nursing program.

With so many personal connections at 91短视频, the school automatically made his list of colleges to consider. But, he still had to decide for himself. When Beidler visited 91短视频 during an Admitted Student Day and spoke with a nursing professor, he came away thoroughly impressed with the quality of the program. 鈥淭he way she described how 91短视频 teaches nursing really resonated with me,鈥� he said. 鈥淪eeing those values of caring for others reflected not just in the major I want to study, but also across the college, made me think, 鈥楾his is where I want to be.鈥欌��

A National Merit Scholarship finalist this year, Beidler received National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for his story submissions in 2022 (Honorable Mention) and 2023 (Gold Key Award, American Voices nominee). He was also selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Regional Chorus Festival. Beidler, who has joined the 91短视频 University Choir, was involved in all 12 of his high school鈥檚 theater productions during his four years at Lancaster Mennonite High School, and served as editor of the school鈥檚 literary arts magazine.

Beidler said he wanted to attend a college that aligned with his values of community, living intentionally, caring for others, and caring for the world. 鈥�91短视频 checked all those boxes,鈥� he said. 鈥淰isiting those other schools only made me more certain that 91短视频 was the right fit for me.鈥�

Three years ago and about 8,600 miles away in Yangon, Myanmar, Anne Cornelius 鈥�26 boarded a plane and left the only home she had ever known.

Escaping the ravages of a civil war that tore apart her country, she and her family sought asylum in the U.S. A kind host family from Maryland welcomed them in, and Cornelius soon adjusted to life in America. She learned that a close friend from her home city, Rachelle Swe 鈥�21, had just graduated from 91短视频 and was working there as an admissions counselor. Cornelius decided to pay her friend a visit and take a campus tour of 91短视频.

She never imagined attending a college, let alone one in America. Her family wasn鈥檛 exactly flush with cash, especially after uprooting their lives to settle in a new country.  

Thanks to the incredible generosity of donors through the Yoder/Webb Scholarship, Cornelius could attend 91短视频 without paying a dollar in tuition. The four-year, full-tuition scholarship is 91短视频鈥檚 highest academic award offered to a select few honors students each year.  

鈥淚鈥檓 really grateful for the scholarship,鈥� Cornelius said. 鈥淚t is the only way I could come to school at 91短视频.鈥�

Her friend in admissions introduced her to other international and Burmese students. These days, Cornelius, a sophomore majoring in international business and business analytics, has plenty of friends and plenty going on.

She is vice president of marketing for the Student Government Association, a digital media ambassador for undergraduate admissions and is a community assistant for her residence hall. Cornelius also does her part in recruiting future Royals; she talks to students back in Myanmar and encourages them to apply to 91短视频. 

She might have been forced to leave one home, but she found another at 91短视频. 

鈥淚 love the community here,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 so caring. I love how quickly I was able to fit in.鈥�

Your generous support helps students like Cornelius pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 8th annual Lov91短视频 Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future 91短视频 students. Let鈥檚 build 91短视频 鈥淪tronger Together.鈥�

Read the previous profiles in our Why they Lov91短视频 series: