U of A Senior Finds Recipe for Success in ‘A Hunger to Make a Difference’

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas senior Coleman Warren is dedicated to helping others and serving his community.

Thanks to a life-changing opportunity after his freshman year, the Farmington native started his own ice cream business with the goal of fighting hunger, using proceeds to fund meals for those in need. Now, his stellar achievements in and out of the classroom have culminated in his being named a 2022 Rhodes Scholar for graduate study.

In the newest Short Takes episode, “A Hunger to Make a Difference,” Warren shares how the university played a part in this dream – from offering life-changing opportunities to inspire his philanthropy to providing connections for his entrepreneurial endeavors.

During his time at the U of A, Warren was an honors student who pursued two majors (industrial engineering and political science), volunteered his time with campus and community organizations and was elected president of the Associated Student Government. He won a volunteer service award, was named to the Chancellor’s List and was designated as a Clinton Global Initiative University Fellow. In 2021, he was also named a Harry S. Truman Scholar.

Warren’s business, Simple + Sweet Creamery, launched in 2020 amid the pandemic and has been churning out pints of small batch ice cream flavors since. Sale of ice cream has funded more than 15,000 meals donated to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, thanks to his work so far, and his long-term goal is to give away more than 50% of the company’s profits to fighting childhood hunger.

Earlier this month, Warren was surprised by U of A alumnus and Good Morning Americaanchor T.J. Holmes, who presented him with a donation of 20,000 pounds of food to help the local food bank and $5,000 to use toward his business.

At the University of Oxford, Warren plans to pursue a Master of Philosophy in comparative social policy, analyze what is done to combat hunger in multiple countries and craft a thesis about rural food insecurity’s impacts on child development.

Learn more about Warren’s inspiring work in “A Hunger to Make a Difference” and find additional Short Takes videos here.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.