W&L Joins the Project Pericles National Consortium for Civic Learning
Membership in the consortium gives the university access to grants and fellowships that support civic learning for students and the local community.
Poverty Studies Archive (93 Stories)
W&L To Host Social Impact Careers Summit and Inaugural Shepherd Affinity Weekend
The Social Impact Summit and Shepherd Affinity event will be held Nov. 6-8.
Zanita Akinkugbe ’27: Summer in Pictures
Zanita Akinkugbe '27 shares snapshots from her summer internship with Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center.
Local Impact
Community-Based Learning interns leave their mark on Rockbridge County.
A Full-Circle Summer
Four rising sophomores spent their summer cooking, gardening, delivering food and grant writing for Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee.
Exploring the World
Johnson Enhancement Funds Open up Opportunities for W&L Johnson Scholars.
What’s Next for Natalie Richards ’26
Richards, a strategic communication major, will be working at Rational 360 as a Public Relations Fellow.
Campus Kitchen and the Connolly Center Cook Up New Ideas
A new partnership between the Campus Kitchen and the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship is giving student food businesses a commercial home on campus.
Three W&L Students Awarded Boren Scholarships for Global Language Study
With the scholarship, the graduating seniors will conduct intensive language studies in Indonesia and Japan.
Making Civic Magic
Shepherd Program students spent their Winter Term imagining how to create healthy spaces for civic discourse in the Rockbridge area.
Beyond the Classroom
Lela Casey ’25 took her education around the world with a series of immersive language learning opportunities made possible by W&L’s Office of Fellowships.
W&L’s Patrick Solcher Awarded Fulbright to Spain
For Solcher, teaching English in Spain is an opportunity to meaningfully immerse himself in a new culture and continue building his language skills.
Meet Toluwalope Bakare ’28
Bakare and her friends started a club on campus to celebrate African culture through dance.
Marisa Charley Awarded the Spring 2026 Civic Engagement Mini-Grant
Charley will utilize the grant to design pedagogical approaches that strengthen students’ civic engagement and learning.
In The Lead: Linking Community and Career
From a public health Volunteer Venture trip to alumni mentorship, the W&L network opened doors and supported dreams for Liv Ullmann ’25.
Jon Eastwood to Deliver Lecture in Honor of His Appointment to the William P. Ames Jr. Professorship in Sociology
Eastwood’s talk, titled “Reflections on the Sociology of Cynicism and Distrust,” will be held Feb. 19 in Northen Auditorium.
In Memoriam: Harlan Beckley, Former Acting University President and Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Religion Emeritus
Beckley worked at Washington and Lee University for 40 years and served as the founding director of the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability.
Meet Gibson Ward ’27
Ward has found his 'home' on campus with the Shepherd Program.
W&L Alumni Receive Omicron Delta Kappa Scholarship
Two Washington and Lee University graduates received scholarships from the National Leadership Honor Society to support graduate and professional study.
Change Agents: DeLaney Center Interns Help Drive Social Progress
Eleven W&L students participated in the first full year of programming spread across multiple states.
Bringing Humanity Into The Conversation
Kate LeMasters ’15 cultivated a career of addressing public health inequalities with marginalized societies.
Fran Elrod Elected Future Chair of the Governing Board for the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty
The associate director of W&L’s Shepherd Program will serve a two-year term leading the consortium’s governing board and council beginning in September 2026.
W&L Outcomes: Charlie Mlcek ’25
Mlcek is returning to Capitol Hill as an AI Policy Fellow through the Horizon Institute for Public Service.
Marisa Charley and the W&L Bonner Program Featured in Article Posted on Higher Ed Jobs
The story focuses on the Bonner Program’s collaborative work with the Street Medicine Institute.
Leandro Laperne ’28 Participates in the American Enterprise Institute Summer Honors Program
The rising sophomore completed a week-long program held in Washington, D.C.
W&L’s Kristina Ayers Earns Fulbright to Netherlands
Ayers was selected for the inaugural Fulbright/Netherlands-America Foundation Heersink Family Foundation Award to conduct public health research.
Eight W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
This round of recipients marks a record-setting Gilman Scholar cohort for W&L.
Meet Zanita Akinkugbe ’27
Akinkugbe’s goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist has been reinforced by her research lab work.
Four W&L Students to Study Abroad with Critical Language Scholarship
The Critical Language Scholarship Program funds a summer of overseas language and cultural immersion.
Connecting a Global Movement
Students in W&L’s Bonner Program spent the last year creating a digital map of health care networks for people experiencing homelessness worldwide.
Darby Burgett ’26 Awarded Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
Burgett will attend the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University this summer.
Meet Chris Smith ’26
A SHECP internship solidified Smith’s career path to become an advocate for those in need.
Empowering Others
After fighting societal norms in India, Rima Kumari ’26 champions education for other women.
Simple Interventions
For Dr. Kelli Jarrell ’12, a multidisciplinary approach is foundational to her career in social emergency medicine.
Meet Jana Hulsey ’25
Valuable connections with professors have opened Hulsey’s world to new subjects and opportunities to make an impact.
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.
Cultivating a Community of Care
Through the Davis Projects for Peace Grant and a Fulbright ETA, Allie Stankewich ’23 is building relationships with the communities she serves in East Africa.
W&L Outcomes: Katie Yurechko ’24
After a summer internship with the University of Washington, Yurechko will be pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Oxford.
W&L Outcomes: Lucy Donahue ’24
After graduation, Donahue is working as a financial analyst at Amazon and pursuing her CPA.
W&L Outcomes: Shanna Kim ’24
Kim is pursuing her Master of Public Policy at Duke University.
Summer of Growth
Addie-Grace Cook ’25, a politics major with a double minor in Middle East and South Asia studies and poverty and human capability studies, is spending her summer making an impact in the greater Rockbridge community through a Shepherd Program internship with Project Horizon.
Turning a Vision Into Reality
Melos Ambaye ’25 is helping children in Ethiopia as part of her Shepherd summer internship.
W&L’s Trip Wright ’25 Awarded Prestigious Beinecke Scholarship
The scholarship will support Wright’s future studies in urban sociology.
Five W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
Four W&L Students Awarded Boren Scholarships for Global Language Study
The David L. Boren Scholarship supports the intensive study of languages deemed important to U.S. interests.
Washington and Lee Students Selected for Congressional Hunger Center Internships
Sai Chebrolu ’26 and Valentina Giraldo Lozano ’25 are among 13 students chosen for the Zero Hunger Internship program.
W&L’s Tanajia Moye-Green Among 2024 Class of Knight-Hennessy Scholars
Moye-Green ’23 is the university’s first Knight-Hennessy Scholar.
W&L’s Anna Bosking ’24 Awarded Fulbright to Colombia
Bosking has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Colombia.
W&L Student Accepted into American Economic Association Summer Training Program
Janae Darby ’25 will participate in the prestigious program this summer at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Record Number of W&L Students Awarded Critical Language Scholarship
The Critical Language Scholarship Program funds a summer of overseas language and cultural immersion.
Two W&L Students Awarded Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
Jessica Pachuca ’25 and Gabe Miller ’25 will attend the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Carnegie Mellon University this summer.
Student Organization Spotlight: Remote Area Medical
Washington and Lee’s chapter of Remote Area Medical takes students to remote rural areas to provide medical services and gain valuable practical experience along the way.
W&L’s Alina de Zoysa ’25 Awarded the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service
De Zoysa is the university’s first recipient of the two-year scholarship for juniors interested in a public service career.
W&L Outcomes: Allie Stankewich ’23
Allie Stankewich ’23 will spend the summer in Tanzania before pursuing a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Uganda.
W&L Outcomes: Blake Sanchez ’23
Blake Sanchez ’23 is working as a management consultant in the Public Health Segment at Guidehouse in Washington, D.C.
W&L Outcomes: Ellie Penner ’23
Ellie Penner ’23 received a Boren Scholarship to study Hindi in India.
W&L Student Attends Association for Computing Machinery Web Conference in Austin, Texas
Katie Yurechko ’24 presented on how algorithm awareness impacts algospeak use on TikTok.
W&L Alumna Annie Talton ’21 Selected for Fulbright to Hungary
Talton has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English to the Roma student population in Hungary.
Two W&L Students Selected for Internships with the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty
Jana Hulsey ’25 and Jalen Todd ’25 will work with programs in Washington, D.C. for eight weeks over the summer.
W&L’s Finn Connor ’23 Selected for Fulbright to Germany
Connor has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Germany.
W&L Hosts 18th Annual Tom Wolfe Weekend
The weekend’s seminar will feature Amor Towles discussing his latest book, “The Lincoln Highway.”
W&L’s Maggie Hawley ’23 Selected for Fulbright to Spain
Hawley has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Spain.
W&L’s Kamryn Godsey ’23 Awarded Fulbright to Taiwan
Godsey has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Taiwan.
Catching up with Rebecca Dunn Piatt ’16
Whether it was inside the classroom or out and about on campus, Rebecca Dunn Piatt '16 looks back on her time at W&L fondly.
Meet Georgia Bernbaum ’25
Bernbaum is inspired by W&L’s emphasis on community-based learning.
Learning to Swim
Tetiana Kozachanska ’26 is taking full advantage of her first year at Washington and Lee.
Posi Oluwakuyide ’24 Awarded Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
Oluwakuyide will attend the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at the University of Washington this summer.
Catching up with Kassie Scott ’18
Scott's advice for current students: "There is no one way to do college. Do it your way and make it count."
Community Voices
Students in Professor Marisa Charley’s POV102 course helped local elementary school children tell stories this fall through photovoice research.
Just Food: Food and the Carceral System
Campus Kitchen’s annual event series continues with its Winter Term 2023 lineup, examining the many ways in which the food system interacts with social justice issues.
Katie Shester
Katie Shester is an associate professor of economics and a core faculty member for the Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability, as well as Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Ryan Brink
Ryan Brink serves as Campus Kitchen coordinator.
W&L’s Bonner Program Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Alumni and friends of the Bonner Program are invited to a reception in Mattingly House during Young Alumni Weekend.
Just Food: Food and the Carceral System (2022-2023)
Campus Kitchen’s annual event series examines the many ways in which the food system interacts with issues of justice.
Pursuing Her Passions
Aishwarya Vemagiri '25 hopes her summer research experience on diet-induced obesity will lead to a career in the medical field.
Rooted in Justice
Kiera Stankewich ’25 tackled food justice in Louisville, Kentucky this summer through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty.
Finding Her Calling
Kristina Ayers '25 is interning at a medical clinic for the homeless in Washington, D.C. through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty.
W&L Outcomes: Elizabeth Grist ’22
Elizabeth Grist '22 will spend next year conducting research in Melbourne, Australia as a Fulbright Scholar. Her project assesses the barriers and stigma associated with receiving medication for opioid use disorder.
Making Meaningful Impact
Eric Bazile '25 is interning with the Austin Greater Chamber of Commerce through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP).
W&L’s Dickinson ’22 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
After her USTA program orientation in September, Joey Dickinson will be teaching in a secondary school in Austria through May 2023.
W&L’s Grist ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Australia
Elizabeth Grist has been awarded a Fulbright research grant to Melbourne, Australia, to study the stigma and barriers associated with receiving medication for opioid use disorder.
W&L’s Allie Stankewich ’23 Awarded Boren Scholarship
Stankewich received a David L. Boren Scholarship from the National Security Education Program to study abroad in Tanzania in fall 2022.
W&L’s Shugart ’22 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
After her USTA program orientation in September, Shugart will team teach in a secondary school in Austria through May 2023.
W&L’s Mansi Tripathi ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Colombia
Tripathi will teach English to students in Colombia for 10 months.
W&L’s Sydney Lee ’22 Awarded Fulbright to Costa Rica
Lee has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Costa Rica starting in early 2023.
Connecting the Dots
Bri Mondesir ’22 has found her purpose through volunteer work in the Rockbridge area community as a scholar in the Bonner Program at W&L.
W&L’s Moye-Green Awarded Beinecke Scholarship
The Beinecke Scholarship Program provides funds for post-graduate study to students of unusual promise.
The Flow of Influence
After receiving a great deal of support from upperclassmen at Washington and Lee University, Hannah Puckett ’23 pays it forward by dedicating her time to mentoring and counseling first-year students.
A World of Possibility
Between the classroom and her community volunteer work, Katherine Ho '23 has built a W&L experience that is already paying off in the career world.
Tanajia Moye-Green ’23 Awarded Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
Moye-Green will attend the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Princeton.
W&L Students Form Blue Ridge Mile Clinic
The clinic is a Lexington-based program run by W&L students that partners with Virginia's Drive to Work initiative to help low-income or previously incarcerated individuals gain or restore their driving privileges.
Turkeypalooza!
The annual Turkeypalooza event at Washington and Lee University's Campus Kitchen involves hours of volunteer work to help make a happy Thanksgiving for members of the local community.
‘Chasing After Curiosity’
Allie Stankewich '23 spent summer 2021 learning about public health in Uganda and green roofs in New York City.
