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Mason County High School Senior Cecilia Hiatt Named Lindsey Wilson College John B. Begley Scholar

Lindsey Wilson's most prestigious scholarship, the Begley Scholarship provides students with unparalleled academic- and cultural-enrichment experiences.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (05/16/2025) — A Mason County High School student has received Lindsey Wilson College's most prestigious scholarship.

Cecilia Hiatt of Maysville, Kentucky, has been named a John B. Begley Scholar at Lindsey Wilson. The Begley Scholarship is a full-tuition, room-and-board scholarship that provides students with unparalleled academic- and cultural-enrichment experiences.

The daughter of Joseph and Melinda Hiatt, Hiatt is a senior at Mason County High School. She plans to major in biology at Lindsey Wilson to prepare for pharmacy school.

"It is a large campus, but everyone was so welcoming and so friendly from the moment I got there," said Hiatt, who was a 2024 Kentucky Governor's Scholar.

Hiatt's involvement at Mason County has included being a member of the Royals' cross country and track and field programs, which she plans to continue at Lindsey Wilson. She's also been a member of her school's Smile Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Club and National Honor Society.

Hiatt said that Lindsey Wilson's campus diversity, which includes students from nearly four dozen countries, also appealed to her.

"Being in a community that is so diverse, that is different from Maysville, is what I'm excited for," said Hiatt.

The Begley Scholarship is one of the most unique college scholarships in U.S. higher education. Begley Scholars take enrichment trips to Earnest Hemmingway's four "Great American Cities" -- Chicago, New York, New Orleans and San Francisco -- and take part in cultural learning opportunities alongside Lindsey Wilson President William T. Luckey Jr. and First Lady Elise Luckey, who serve as directors of the Begley Scholars Program. Regular meetings and discussions about current events are also held at the Emily Hundley President's Home.

Lindsey Wilson College is a vibrant liberal arts college in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson -- which will become Lindsey Wilson University on July 1 -- has an enrollment of more than 4,000 students, and the college offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The college's 28 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

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Mason County High School senior Cecilia Hiatt of Maysville, Kentucky, has been named a Lindsey Wilson College John B. Begley Scholar at Lindsey Wilson, the college’s most prestigious scholarship.

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