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Lindsey Wilson University Student Receives 'A Very Pleasant Surprise'

Alexavier Garrott '30 of Madisonville, Kentucky, one of 161 2026 high school graduates named a U.S. Presidential Scholar.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (11/13/2026) — Lindsey Wilson University student Alexavier Garrott '30 was surprised to learn that he had been named a 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholar.

"I kind of assumed I didn't get it, because they said that by June they would have the news out," said Garrott, who is an agribusiness and sustainability and environmental studies double major from Madisonville, Kentucky.

But when he received the good news earlier this month, he said it was "a very pleasant surprise."

"It just brings to light not just my schoolwork in general but the extracurricular activities and everything else I've set my mind to," said Garrott.

The U.S. Department of Education named 161 high school seniors 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars. Garrott was one of five Presidential Scholars from a Kentucky high school.

The honor is based on academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Of the 3.9 million students who graduated from a U.S. high school in 2026, more than 6,400 candidates qualified for the award.

Family support

An honors student at Madisonville North Hopkins High School, Garrott was an early college scholar who graduated with not only a high school diploma but also with an associate in arts degree from the Kentucky Community and Technical System.

Garrott gives a lot of credit to his family members -- father, Joseph, mother, Ruth, and sisters, Hannah, 20, Ginny, 13, and Sarah, 10.

"My family members were a huge part of this," he said. "They have always been there for me. They have always been in my corner."

Earlier this summer, Garrott became an Eagle Scout shortly after he installed a greenhouse at Browning Springs Middle School in Madisonville, where his sister Ginny is a student.

He was also heavily involved with Future Farmers of America and was a member of his school's archery team.

A passion for archery

Garrott has continued his passion for archery at Lindsey Wilson, where he said he has learned a lot in his first semester of competition under archery coach Anna Krampe-Bell '23. Although he entered Lindsey Wilson with an associate's degree, Garrott said he plans to be at the university for four years so that he can use all of his eligibility in archery.

"I really enjoy it," he said. "Our coach is amazing. She's a very, very good coach -- I've learned a lot from her. Everybody on the team is very welcoming. It's like a big family. Everybody is like your brothers and sisters."

Whenever the pressure of being a double major is a bit too much, Garrott said archery is a perfect outlet.

"It's kind of calming," said Garrott, who has practiced archery since the second grade. "It's good to go down to the range on some nights when I'm stressed. When I'm there, I have to focus on what I'm doing, and then I don't worry about everything else.

"It's also very rewarding when all the work you've put in for months and months -- and even years -- culminates with your improvement in a tournament."

Garrott has also adjusted well to his first year as a full-time college student as he considers the myriad of career options as an agribusiness and sustainability and environmental studies double major.

"I've gotten plugged into a couple of different Bible study groups, I've met some really great people, the faculty are very kind and I'm learning a lot," he said.

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university 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 offers 30 undergraduate majors, six graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

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Lindsey Wilson University student Alexavier Garrott ’30 of Madisonville, Kentucky, is one of 161 2026 U.S. high school graduates to be named a U.S. Presidential Scholar.

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