Ervin Scholars

Academic excellence

Ervin Scholars are expected to set high standards for their academic work and maintain steady progress toward completing their degrees. Scholars meet regularly with the director of the program to discuss academic work and strategies for success.

Ervin Scholars routinely receive prestigious internship positions. Students have been selected to participate in the St. Louis Fellows Program, the Morgan Stanley Company’s Richard B. Fisher Scholars Program and the INROADS program for minority students, among others. In partnership with faculty members, Ervin Scholars have conducted research through the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Fellowships and the Mellon Mays Fellowship Program. Ervin Scholars are often named to the Dean’s List and also go on to receive additional academic honors, such as Phi Beta Kappa. Five Ervin graduates have been named Rhodes Scholars.

Leadership

Leadership is a hallmark of the Ervin Scholars Program, and prospective Ervin Scholars demonstrate leadership or substantive commitments in at least one extra-curricular activity during their high school careers.

At WashU, Ervin Scholars demonstrate a continued commitment to leadership. They take prominent roles in such organizations as the Washington University Board of Trustees, Student Union, various cultural and civic groups, honoraries and entrepreneurial ventures. They are active in fraternities, sororities and career related associations. Many Ervin Scholars have been involved in varsity, club and intramural athletics, music and dance groupsband campus publications. Ervin Scholars actively participate in nearly every student group on campus and regularly create their own groups.

Community service

Dr. John B. Ervin believed that service to others in need promotes the health and growth of a community. Each Ervin Scholar should be able to demonstrate a meaningful service commitment to his or her local community during high school. That service will continue at Washington University in St. Louis, where Ervin Scholars volunteer their time in areas that serve many sectors of the community.

Through “sERVIN”, Ervin’s flagship community service program, students volunteer their time throughout the St. Louis community. Recent programs include volunteering with Black Power Blueprint and St. Patrick’s Center. They also participate in programs across campus, utilizing their leadership skills to give back in all the communities they’re part of. Whether they are serving in St. Louis, their hometowns, or post-graduation, Ervin Scholars are committed to making a difference in their community and around the world.

Diversity

A tenet at the core of the Ervin Scholars Program is diversity and a commitment to bringing diverse groups together. The Ervin Program, for many, is a second family throughout and beyond their time at Washington University. It is a family of diverse individuals who create a safe, encouraging and supportive community for one another.

In addition to embodying diversity through various backgrounds and interests, Ervin Scholars also embrace a commitment to diversity. This commitment to diversity is not defined by a singular aspect of tolerance, acceptance, or respect; rather, it is inclusive of all of these and more. Ervin Scholars are aware that diversity is a multifaceted concept and that a commitment to diversity, in part, consists of showing an understanding for the differences of others.

Ervin Scholars are instrumental in establishing organizations and activities in collaboration with fellow students, as well as on a local and national level.