Sacred Heart Prep’s Ashley Amirkhan wins Jefferson Scholarship
Ashley Amirkhan, a senior at Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP), has been awarded one of the most highly-selective merit scholarships in the nation. The Jefferson Scholars Foundation at the University of Virginia (UVA) selected Ashley as one of 36 recipients of the Jefferson Scholarship. She will commence studies in the fall at UVA.
To be named a scholar, candidates must undergo a rigorous, highly competitive, multi-stage selection process. First, high schools or affiliated organizations nominate students for demonstrated excellence and potential in leadership, scholarship, and citizenship. Next, students complete at least one regional interview; finalists then participate in a final interview round. This year, over 2,500 students were nominated for the scholarship, and nearly 150 finalists were invited to take part in remote interviews conducted by UVA alumni and faculty.
The 36 selected recipients of the 2025 Jefferson Scholarship boast numerous significant achievements, and Ashley is no exception. During her time at SHP, she distinguished herself across academics, service, and athletics. She is an AP Scholar with Distinction and has completed intensive pre-college programs in neuroscience, nanoscience, and medicine at UCLA and Brown University. A dedicated student-researcher, she collaborated with a Cambridge PhD student to co-author a research paper on the use of deep-brain stimulation to treat early-onset Alzheimer’s, as part of the Cambridge Scholars’ Programme.
“Outside of these spectacular scholarly experiences,” said SHP’s Director of College Counseling Joel Dobben, “Ashley was nominated for the Jefferson Scholarship because of her student leadership and personal resilience.”
A multi-sport varsity athlete, a series of injuries ended Ashley’s career as an elite diver; she used the transition as an opportunity to promote physical and mental wellness in student athletes. She is the CEO of GOAT Mentality, a Bay Area-based nonprofit providing sports psychology resources to teens, impacting over 10,000 students across 250 schools. She has also volunteered extensively, from coaching adaptive gymnastics for children with special needs to leading social justice initiatives at SHP.
“I’m honored to receive this scholarship, which I see as a reflection of the incredible community that has supported and shaped me during my time at SHP,” Ashley said. “The values, challenges, and mentorship I’ve encountered have instilled in me resilience, purpose, and compassion — qualities I’ll carry with me as I study human biology and neuroscience at UVA and pursue a career in healthcare.”
