Educational Odyssey
Ashton Evans ’26 reflects on a W&L experience full of mentorship, global learning and skills she will carry with her for life.
Johnson Opportunity Grant Archive (86 Stories)
Refining an Industry
Eric Herrera ’20 was recently named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for his work with chemical manufacturing startup MaverickX, which he cofounded with Jesse Evans ’20.
Students Encouraged to Apply for a Johnson Opportunity Grant in 2026
The grant provides funds to support W&L student projects worldwide.
In The Lead: New Chapter
Adhip Adhikari ’27 constructed a library at a secondary school in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the help of the Washington and Lee University community.
Studying Salamanders
Summer Research Scholars Brian Kim ’26 and Ansley Stotts ’27 have spent their summer conducting field research in a unique outdoor classroom.
Songs of Summer
Meredith Harron ’26 trained and performed with the Mediterranean Opera Festival this summer through a Johnson Opportunity Grant.
What the Mountain Gives You
Chris Paudel ’28 set out to challenge himself — and cultural stereotypes — through a mountaineering expedition in his home country of Nepal.
Meet Sofia Iuteri ’27
Iuteri’s work with the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society and business administration professors has led to the expansion and growth of her own nonprofit.
Students Encouraged to Apply for a Johnson Opportunity Grant in 2025
The grant provides funds to support W&L student projects worldwide.
Opportunity to Thrive
Adhip Adhikari ’27 spent much of his summer creating a library at a secondary school near his family's home in Katmandu, Nepal.
Where the Wild Things Are
Marcie Bernard ’25 explored the different avenues of veterinary medicine in the Amazon Rainforest as she worked to rehabilitate and rewild animals at Hoja Nueva.
Unearthing Answers
By enlisting guidance from the W&L science community, Emma Marvelli ’27 combined a Spring Term abroad class with summer research to better understand Virginia meta-basalts and their potential for combating climate change.
Lending a Healing Hand
With the support of a Johnson Opportunity Grant, Sofia Iuteri ’27 is expanding the reach of the nonprofit she founded at 16.
Flying High
Misha Lin ’25 is taking her dance education to the next level this summer with intensive aerial dance training, finishing with a two-week international festival in August.
Saving the Sea Turtles
At the New England Aquarium, Julia Luzzio ’25 is expanding her horizons and gaining hands-on experience working with wildlife.
Students Realize Dreams Through Innovative Summer Internships
Grant funding through W&L's Johnson Program allows student recipients to pursue passion projects and career development around the world.
Building Her W&L Experience
Sadie Charles Calame ’23 has built a well-rounded college experience through campus and community involvement.
Summer Opportunities: Off the Beaten Path
Washington and Lee students blazed their own trails this summer to pursue their passions.
Stepping Stones in STEM
Bonner Kirkland '23 conducted biomedical research this summer in the Children’s National Hospital’s Department of Genetic Medicine.
Levelling Up in London
Brendan Smith ’24 worked in the British House of Commons as a parliamentary research intern in London.
Becoming a Better Scientist
Lucy Worthy ’24 is conducting clinical research and shadowing a physician at the Mayo Clinic.
Adding Value
Diwesh Kumar ’24 is developing investment banking expertise at his summer internship at Boxwood Partners in Richmond, Virginia.
‘Chasing After Curiosity’
Allie Stankewich '23 spent summer 2021 learning about public health in Uganda and green roofs in New York City.
The Bluebird of Happiness
Chris Tucker '23 spent the summer researching Western Bluebirds in Missoula with a biology professor from the University of Arizona.
‘One More Song’
Paige Anderson '22 is spending the summer recording an album of classical violin music in memory of her grandmother.
Building Blocks
Virginia McGhee ’19 spent the summer at Stanford University building polymers in Bob Waymouth ’82’s chemistry lab.
Summertime Stints
Washington and Lee students utilize their summers through research, volunteer work and internship opportunities, both on campus and across the globe.
Connecting the Dots of the Liberal Arts
Monica Musgrave '18 is already double-majoring, but that didn't stop her from spending six-weeks in England studying two completely different subjects.
In the Belly of the Beast
Skyler T. Zunk ’19 was an intern at the White House's Office of Political Affairs.
Researching Beyond the Library
The best place to research your thesis? Some would say the library, but for Jacqueline Moruzzi '18 that place is the Cambridge University's Medieval Studies Summer Program.
Climate Change and Sharks
As a research assistant at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Rachel Steffen ’18 gathered data on the environmental thresholds of juvenile sandbar sharks.
‘My Time in Thailand’
Shadowing surgeons in Thailand made neuroscience major Emily Ellis '18 even more excited about her chosen career path.
Small Company, Big Internship
Marta Regn ’19 used her internship to throughly explore all aspects of a sustainable, ethical jewelry startup.
Women in Charge
Laura Stagno '18 saw the faces of America's future leaders, including her own, through an internship on Capitol Hill.
Funding Hope in Memphis
Vicky Kazmierczak '18 spent the summer in Memphis, learning the ins and outs of non-profit work — and how to hope.
Language and Life Lessons in Chile
Alex Meilech '18 spent the summer in Santiago, Chile, learning the language, exploring the culture, and caring for the people of the country.
Getting Ahead in the Garment District
Julia Kaczmar '19 spent a summer in New York City, learning the logistics of the latest fashions.
Art in the City
Mandy Witherspoon ’18 combined her love of art with her expertise in business at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Summer at Oxford
Danielle Hughson's honors thesis will be focused on male editorial control and how it affects female writers, within a familial and patriarchal context.
Open for Business
A grant from the Endeavor Foundation allowed Yoko Koyama '19 and Maren Lundgren '18 to open a store in Cameroon that will fund transportation for local children to go to middle school in a neighboring town.
Lions, Giraffes and Photos — Oh My!
Olivia Kubli '18's summer volunteer work included photographing lions, giraffes and elephants in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Visiting George at Home
Anna Milewski '18 has spent time in fields, labs, carpenter shops and seminar rooms - and it was all part of one internship at the home of George Washington.
It’s All Greek to Her
Hannah Palmatary '18 spent the summer discovering the ancient ruins of Greece, as well as her own talent and passion for creative writing.
Making Sense of the Jungle
Liz Todd '19 was able to extend her Spring Term Abroad and spend the summer in Brazil, where she worked for an environmental agency.
Making the Leap to an R1 Institution
A summer at UC San Diego gave Katie Volk '18 experience working in a big research environment
Greeting Opportunity with Open Arms
Shadowing doctors in Peru allowed Bryan D'Ostroph '19 to practice his Spanish and firm up future career plans in health care.
Health Care Fieldwork in South Africa
Through the U.Va. Field School for Public Health Research, Julie Sklar '18 was able to work with a medical anthropologist and epidemiologist in South Africa this summer.
There’s No Place Like (a New) Home
After spending Spring Term in Ethiopia, Jack Kaelin '19 is in Austin, Texas, helping refugees find a place to call home.
Speaking with Confidence
Julia Poppenberg '19 spent the summer as a translator in Guatemala, helping doctors and patients alike and learning to "talk strong."
The Call of the Wildebeest
Jack Miller '19 has spent his summer in the bush of South Africa, learning about wildlife and conservation - and having a few close calls in the field.
Learning to Lobby
Jason Renner ’19 interned this summer for two lobbying firms in Washington, D.C.
Kitanna Hiromasa ’19 to Serve as Delegate to Japan-America Student Conference
JASC is a student-exchange program, initiated in 1934 by university students concerned by the breakdown of bilateral relations prior to World War II.
Creating Balance: Isabella Sparhawk ’17
Isabella Sparhawk used her Johnson Opportunity Grant to spend five weeks in India, studying vinyasa yoga and photojournalism.
Five W&L Alumni Win National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowships
For the 2017 competition, NSF received over 13,000 applications and made 2,000 award offers.
The Intersection of Art and Science: Lauren Sturdy ’11
Finding answers in the space where science and art intersect.
W&L Researchers See Coral Decline
Geology professor Lisa Greer, who has been taking students to Belize since 2011 to monitor the health of coral reefs, said their research indicates that the latest El Niño, on top of global climate change, may be harming the Belize Barrier Reef.
Passionate About Public Health
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Cameron Lee interns at the Cluj School of Public Health in Romania.
Catching Waves
Jamie Hayes ’17 spent two summer months in New Zealand, where he conducted research that could eventually help to improve the diagnosis of gastrointestinal ailments.
A Day in the Life: Bogdan Bors ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Bogdan Bors '17 interns with Community Empowerment Solutions, a social entrepreneurship company focusing on microconsignment opportunities in Ecuador.
A Day in the Life: Sonia Brozak ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Sonia Brozak '17 Travels to Florence to Study Art History.
A Day in the Life: Prakhar Naithani ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Prakhar Naithani '17 conducts research at North Carolina State University's Forestry Biomaterials Department.
A Day in the Life: Franklin Wolfe ’16
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Franklin Wolfe '16 Travels to Europe to Gather Data for 3D Geologic Models.
A Day in the Life: Sara Jones ’18
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Sara Jones '18 Travels to India to Study Maternal and Child Health.
A Day in the Life: Kayla Sylvester ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Kayla Sylvester '17 Volunteers with a Local Literacy Council in South Dakota.
A Day in the Life: Meera Kumar ’16
Johnson Opportunity Grant winner connects interests in economics and art history at famed auction house.
A Day in the Life: Cole Schott ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant winner dives into local politics in Nashville.
A Day in the Life: Anna Paden Carson ’16
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Anna Paden Carson '16 Helps Detained Immigrants Navigate the Immigration System.
A Day in the Life: Jenna Faude ’16
Johnson Opportunity Grant winner tries her hand at brand marketing in Charleston, S.C.
A Day in the Life: Stephen Himmelberg ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant Winner Stephen Himmelberg '17 Studies Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury.
A Day in the Life: Mary Ciera Wilson ’17
Johnson Opportunity Grant winner gets a taste of state politics the Tennessee State Capitol.
A Day in the Life: Daniel Rodriguez Segura
Johnson Opportunity Grant Takes Daniel Rodriguez '16 to Bangladesh to Study Microfinance
A Day in the Life: David Heinen
Johnson Opportunity Grant Recipient David Heinen Learns to Teach English in Chile
A Day in the Life: Nancy Stephen
Johnson Opportunity Grant winner works on women's empowerment initiatives in Abuja, Nigeria
A Day in the Life: Rachel Solomon
Johnson Opportunity Grant Takes Rachel Solomon '16 to Argentina for Medical Fieldwork
A Day in the Life: Emma Swabb
Johnson Opportunity Grant Recipient Emma Swabb Explores Alternative Education Models in Washington, D.C.
Eric Schwen ’15 is Apker Award Finalist
Eric Schwen ’15, a Washington and Lee University valedictorian and physics major from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, has been chosen as a finalist for the American Physical Society’s LeRoy Apker Award, recognizing outstanding achievements in physics by an undergraduate.
W&L Announces Winners of 2015 Johnson Opportunity Grants
Washington and Lee University has announced the students who will receive 2015 Johnson Opportunity Grants. The 29 students will work within the United States and travel to variety of countries.
W&L Announces Final Winners of 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants
Washington and Lee University has announced the final round of students who will receive 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants. The grants cover living, travel and other costs associated with the students' proposed activities, which are designed to help them with their future careers and fields of study.
W&L Announces Winners of 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants
Washington and Lee University has announced the first round of students selected to receive 2014 Johnson Opportunity Grants, and the second round of selections is underway.
Student Researchers Travel the World to Preserve Iconic Paintings
A team of students traveled between France, Norway and Denmark this summer to determine why certain pigments in iconic paintings are fading, and to determine how to stop the process.
W&L Announces Eight Johnson Opportunity Grants for 2013
Washington and Lee University has announced the first round of Johnson Opportunity Grants for 2013, naming eight undergraduates to receive awards to support their research activities during the upcoming summer
W&L Announces Final Johnson Opportunity Grant Recipients
Washington and Lee University has selected 21 students to receive Johnson Opportunity Grants for 2012 summer research activities. This is in addition to the eight students announced earlier. The students will receive the grants for a wide variety of activities both in the United States and abroad. These include working with great white sharks in […]
W&L Named to The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
For the second time in as many years, Washington and Lee University has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. The honor roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and in placing students on a lifelong path of civic engagement, […]
W&L Announces Winners of 2012 Johnson Opportunity Grants
Eight Washington and Lee University students have been selected for the spring/summer 2012 Johnson Opportunity Grants.
Fresh Water for Bolivia
Students and professors from Washington and Lee and VMI spent two weeks this summer in the village of Pampoyo, Bolivia, to oversee the construction of a multi-phase water delivery system that will bring fresh water to the villagers. The clean water will be used for crop irrigation, and those working on the project hope the […]
Winners of Johnson Opportunity Grants Announced
The Johnson Program in Leadership and Integrity at Washington and Lee University has announced the eight inaugural recipients of the Johnson Opportunity Grants. The grants are funded by a gift to W&L which also created scholarships, a lecture and symposia series focusing on leadership and two endowed professorships.
