Bo Garfinkel ’21 Awarded Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Garfinkel will attend the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Princeton

By Will Edgar
May 14, 2020

“Bo is a truly exceptional student and citizen of the community. She has an extraordinary intellect, and her social conscience and motivation fully match her brilliance.”

~ Associate Professor Alison Bell

Bo Garfinkel ’21 will attend the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute Fellowship at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs for the summer of 2020. Garfinkel is a Bonner Scholar at Washington and Lee University where she is majoring in sociology and anthropology and minoring in Chinese.

The PPIA fellowship program helps students achieve a master’s or joint degree, typically in public policy, public administration, international affairs or a related field. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the six-week program will be conducted remotely rather than on Princeton’s campus.

“I am extremely grateful to be awarded the PPIA Fellowship,” said Garfinkel. “PPIA is an unprecedented opportunity to access the world of policy and data analysis. Aside from the access to the fantastic coursework and professors at Princeton, as a PPIA Fellow, I will gain the skills I need to become successful in obtaining a master’s degree in public policy and entering a career in that field.”

“Bo is a truly exceptional student and citizen of the community. She has an extraordinary intellect, and her social conscience and motivation fully match her brilliance,” said Alison Bell, associate professor of anthropology and one of Garfinkel’s advisors. “The hours she dedicates to academic and service enterprises alike testify to the quality of contribution she will bring to future endeavors. I’m excited she’ll have this opportunity to spend a summer learning and building relationships with other student leaders.”

“Bo is an excellent student who wants to excel in the area she has chosen,” said Hongchu Fu, professor of East Asian languages and literatures and another of Garfinkel’s advisors. “I took her to China during one of our courses, where she exhibited her strong ability to be independent, mature and responsible. I’m really glad Bo has been awarded this fellowship. She is a deserving recipient.”

During the summer of 2019, Garfinkel participated in an internship through W&L’s Shepherd Poverty Program, working at the House of Ruth Maryland Domestic Violence Legal Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland.

“Washington and Lee ignited my passion for change at the policy level. During my Shepherd internship, I worked at a legal clinic that provides pro bono representation to victims of domestic violence,” said Garfinkel. “Throughout that summer, I saw the direct impact of various policies on those in need and became excited by the idea of one day forming my own compassionate social policies. I feel prepared for this summer due to my experiences learning from and researching with amazing professors who focus on social policy issues.”

On campus, Garfinkel is a research assistant, is the founder and president of Love146 (W&L’s service club to fight against child trafficking), and serves as the Hillel Board Education Chair.

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