--- title: "Character, Confidence & Influence: Meet the 2025–26 Siegfried Fellows" description: Meet the 2025-26 Siegfried Fellows, the largest cohort yet, as they embark on a journey to lead change and make a significant impact at UD and beyond. image: https://horn.udel.edu/hubfs/2025%20Siegfried%20Fellows%20Announcement%20Graphic.png --- [![University of Delaware](https://horn.udel.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/HPE_Jan2017/logo.png?width=168&height=70&name=logo.png "University of Delaware")](http://udel.edu) #### Horn Entrepreneurship # [Stories & Updates](https://horn.udel.edu) ## Character, Confidence & Influence: Meet the 2025–26 Siegfried Fellows by [Horn Entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/author/horn-entrepreneurship) • September 16, 2025 The University of Delaware proudly welcomes the 2025–2026 Siegfried Fellows—the program’s largest and most diverse cohort since its inception five years ago. Drawn from across UD’s colleges and disciplines, these emerging leaders will spend the next ten months refining their capacity to ***Lead Change. Be Nimble. Cultivate Character.*** ![2025 Siegfried Fellows Announcement Graphic](https://horn.udel.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/2025%20Siegfried%20Fellows%20Announcement%20Graphic.png?width=1200&height=628&name=2025%20Siegfried%20Fellows%20Announcement%20Graphic.png) Meet this year's Siegfried Fellows:  - **Ariel Lewis**, Fashion Merchandising and Management, Class of 2026 - **Casey Schaeffer**, Organizational & Community Leadership, Class of 2026 - **Christian Franki**, Financial Planning and Wealth Management, Class of 2026 - **Danielle, Blachar**, Elementary Teacher Education, Class of 2026 - **Jackson Koury**, Entrepreneurship, Class of 2026 - **Katherine Oulman**, Comparative Literature, Class of 2026 - **Thomas Cardenas**, Management and Marketing, Class of 2026 - **Kyle Canfield**, Entrepreneurship, Class of 2027 - **Mackenzie Frank**, Entrepreneurship, Class of 2027 - **Marykate Sharkey**, Organizational & Community Leadership, Class of 2027 - **Michala Dyer**, Entrepreneurship and Management, Class of 2027 - **Peter Macyko**, Exercise Science, Class of 2027 - **Zipora Morrison**, Entrepreneurship, Class of 2027 - **Daniel Zwas**, Finance, Class of 2028 - **Emma McCabe**, Entrepreneurship and Management, Class of 2028 - **Ikechukwu Ogbonnia**, Computer Science and Engineering, Class of 2028 - **Mariah Smith**, Medical Diagnostics, Class of 2028 At this year’s orientation, each Fellow delivered a concise “What Will You Lead?” presentation outlining a concrete plan for impact at UD and beyond. Interests ranged from launching new ventures and leading within Residence Life to serving as executive board members in fraternities and shaping the E-Club in Horn Entrepreneurship— clear evidence of a cohort ready to turn values into action. Through cohort-based learning, reflective practice, and engagements with regional and national leaders, Fellows will apply entrepreneurial mindsets—resilience, creative problem-solving, and purpose-driven action—to real challenges on campus and beyond. Now in its fifth year, the Siegfried Fellows program continues to expand opportunity and impact, building a community where students grow in character, confidence, and influence. #### About Horn Entrepreneurship [Horn Entrepreneurship](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/) serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the US, Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world. 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