Ranch 19-year-old earns Dunlap fellowship

RANCHO SANTA FE — The Mortar Board National Foundation announced that Star Hughes, a recent graduate of the University of San Diego, is the 2010 recipient of the Ellen North Dunlap Fellowship, a $3,500 award.
Star graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. At 19 years old, she completed her undergraduate studies in just two years and earned the highest academic average in her graduating class. Star will attend the University of San Diego School of Law in the fall to pursue a dual J.D./MBA degree. She is a 2008 graduate of The Bishop’s School and is the daughter of Jason and Shay Hughes of Rancho Santa Fe.
Initiated into Mortar Board in 2009, Star served as the chapter’s president. Additional leadership roles at the University of San Diego included serving as a senator in the Associated Students Senate and founder and president of the Young Entrepreneur’s Club. She has also volunteered in the community, mentoring high school girls to encourage the pursuit of mathematics and science, and fundraising to provide reconstructive surgery for disadvantaged children with physical deformities.
Ellen North Dunlap, for whom the fellowship is named, began college when she was only 16 years of age. She earned membership in Mortar Board and graduated from The Ohio State University in 1929. As another outstanding student who completed her studies at an early age, Star is uniquely suited to receive this award in Dunlap’s honor.
Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Since its founding in 1918, the organization has grown from the four founding chapters to 228 chartered collegiate chapters with nearly a quarter of a million initiated members across the nation.