Eastern Oregon University Announces Faris Ceranic as Presidential Scholar

Eastern Oregon University Announces Faris Ceranic as Presidential Scholar

LA GRANDE, OR. – Eastern Oregon University (EOU) has announced Faris Ceranic as this year’s recipient of the prestigious President’s Scholar Award. This award is reserved for an outstanding student from the graduating class who exemplifies academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement and will be recognized during the June 15 graduation ceremony

Ceranic, an economics major with minors in business administration and communications, has maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.88 and has been on the Dean’s list since his transfer to EOU from the College of the Desert in Southern California. His academic journey has been marked by significant achievements, including leadership roles in student government and being nominated by faculty as the 2024 Economics Student of the Year.

“EOU has created an extremely supportive environment that has helped me on my path to becoming an attorney,” Ceranic said. “EOU’s faculty and resources have played a crucial role in helping me get into the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada Las Vegas on scholarship.”

Beyond academics, Ceranic has been an active member of the campus community. He served as a justice for the EOU’s student government  (ASEOU), where he worked to ensure that student voices were heard. His leadership extended to the athletic field as a member of the EOU Men’s Soccer team and the EOU Athlete Student Association (ASA), where he contributed to mental health projects and sports event planning.

Ceranic’s resilience and drive are rooted in his family history. Both of his parents fled Yugoslavia during the breakup of the former nation. A first-generation college student, Ceranic maintains strong ties to the region and returns to Bosnia annually. He believes his family experience helped instill in him a strong work ethic and determination, qualities that also embody the Mountaineer spirit.

“It felt great getting the call from President Ryan,” Ceranic said. “I didn’t know what to expect, I was ecstatic, I’m so grateful to be chosen.”

The President’s Scholar Award celebrates Ceranic’s academic and extracurricular accomplishments and includes a cash award supported by the EOU Foundation. He will address fellow graduates at the commencement ceremony on June 15, and share his experiences and insights gained during his time at EOU.

“My speech will be about the students,” Ceranic said. “It will be about all of the great things the class of 2024 has accomplished.” 

For more information about the President’s Scholar Award and other student achievements, please visit eou.edu/commencement/presidents-scholar.