W&L Alumni Receive Omicron Delta Kappa Scholarship A pair of Washington and Lee University graduates received scholarships from the National Leadership Honor Society to support graduate and professional study.
Caroline Linen ’25 (l) and Jensen Rocha ’23 (r).Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) recently announced the scholarship recipients for the 2026-2027 academic year, including two alumni who are members of Washington and Lee University’s Alpha Circle. Each year, ODK awards scholarships and fellowships to more than 40 collegiate members who demonstrate exceptional academic performance and leadership abilities to continue their educations through graduate and professional study.
This year’s W&L recipients include:
- Caroline Linen ’25, currently pursuing a master’s degree in physician assistant studies at the Medical University of South Carolina.
- Jensen Rocha ’23, currently pursuing her juris doctor at Harvard University Law School.
“I am so pleased that ODK has awarded two young alumnae scholarships for this academic year,” said Katherine Dau ’19, director of annual giving and Circle Coordinator for the Alpha Circle. “Jensen and Caroline embody the Alpha Circle’s values of leadership and service, and it is wonderful to see them recognized as they continue their studies.”
Linen received the Kenneth P. Ruscio Scholarship, awarded to the top applicant from the Alpha Circle and named after Kenneth Ruscio ’76, W&L president emeritus and current interim president, and ODK’s national president from 2002-2006. One of W&L’s Class of 2025 valedictorians, Linen double majored in cognitive and behavioral science and French and minored in biology with a physiology concentration. After graduation, she worked as a medical assistant at Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in physician assistant studies at the Medical University of South Carolina and plans to practice in underserved communities, with the long-term goal of improving healthcare access and outcomes through compassionate, service-oriented clinical practice.
Rocha received the John R. Alford Scholarship in Law, awarded to the top applicant who is an initiate of W&L’s Alpha Circle and attending law school. Rocha graduated cum laude from W&L, where she majored in chemistry with a minor in environmental studies. She received a Goldwater Scholarship during her junior year at W&L and completed a master’s in philosophy in energy technology from the University of Cambridge before beginning her studies at Harvard Law School in the fall of 2026. Rocha plans to pursue a career in clean energy law and policy, drawing on her scientific and engineering background to help accelerate the transition to a more sustainable energy future.
Omicron Delta Kappa was founded in 1914 at W&L by 15 student and faculty leaders. The founders formulated the idea that leadership of exceptional quality and versatility in college should be recognized, that representatives in all phases of college life should cooperate in worthwhile endeavors and that outstanding students, faculty and administrators should meet on the basis of mutual interest, understanding and helpfulness. Omicron Delta Kappa was the first college honor society of a national scope to honor meritorious leadership and service in extracurricular activities, and to encourage the development of general campus citizenship.
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