Megan Stiffler ’26, a Westover Honors Fellow from New Freedom, Pennsylvania, has been named the 2025-26 Sommerville Scholar, the highest academic honor the University of Lynchburg bestows. It was presented on Monday, Nov. 17, in the Daura Museum of Art.
Stiffler is pursuing a double major in business administration and English and holds a 4.0 GPA. As a research assistant for Dr. Aubrey Plourde, assistant professor of English, Stiffler explored Victorian literature and religion.
In an interview with The Critograph, Stiffler said her English professors “have pushed me out of my comfort zone. … I’ve picked up books I never would’ve chosen on my own and learned to consider situations from various perspectives. These skills extend far beyond the classroom.”
Stiffler also attended a weeklong study abroad in England as part of a Westover colloquia on the novelist Jane Austen’s work. She also had classes focusing on the Harry Potter novels and the intersection of art and revolution in Africa.
She said her Westover experiences have “made me a better and more engaged student who is eager to learn more every day. … I would recommend Westover to any incoming freshman at Lynchburg.”
In July 2025, Stiffler was selected as a national editor for UReCA: The NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity for the 2025-26 academic year. In her role as national editor, she collaborated with students worldwide to produce the journal’s 10th anniversary edition.
The experience, she said, opened her to “additional avenues I can take with editing, like editing for journals and magazines, instead of just novels.”
After graduation, Stiffler plans to find work as an editor of novels or other creative works and hopes to earn a master’s degree in English, possibly by studying abroad.
In addition to her scholarly accomplishments, Stiffler is a student-athlete on the field hockey team, a supervising tutor at the Wilmer Writing Center, and an Alpha Chi Omega sister.
In announcing Stiffler as the winner, Chip Walton, interim chief academic officer and vice president of academic and strategic operations, said,
“[Her] passion for learning is showcased by her choice of two very different fields for her double major, highlighting the breadth and interdisciplinarity of her studies.”
In addition to Stiffler, four other students were nominated for the award:
- Elizabeth Johnson ’26, a Bonner leader and biology major with minors in psychology and human services from King George, Virginia.
- Danielle Coon ’26, a Westover Honors Fellow and biology-biomedical science major with a sports medicine minor from Newport News, Virginia.
- Evan Gates ’26, a communications studies major with emphasis in journalism and public relations and minors in creative writing and sports media from Blue Ridge, Virginia.
- Georgia Thompson ’26, a Westover Honors Fellow and philosophy and political science major from Chesapeake, Virginia.
Established in 1963, the Sommerville Scholar is named for Richard Clarke Sommerville, a professor of philosophy and psychology at Lynchburg from 1928 to 1947. Sommerville Scholars must be of good character, as evidenced by ideals, attitudes, observance of University regulations, and personal behavior, with an overall GPA in academic subjects of 3.5 or better. They also must exhibit qualities that were important to Sommerville: academic achievement, broad intellectual curiosity, and contributions to the University community.
