Fellowship Awards Allow Washington and Lee Recipients to Forge New Paths Inspired by life-changing study abroad opportunities, many W&L students decide to pursue fellowships that allow them to complete meaningful work on a global stage.

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Washington and Lee University has enjoyed another successful year for nationally competitive fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year, with more than 30 recipients earning opportunities to pursue challenging research and other work around the world.

This year’s cohort of includes current students and recent graduates who represent a diverse cross-section of campus involvement, including members of the Bonner Program, Greek life, varsity and club sports teams, the Shepherd Program, Omicron Delta Kappa, the Student Environmental Action League, university music ensembles and the Outing Club.

“We are immensely proud of this talented group of recipients. What makes this year’s cohort so special is the incredible diversity of experiences and backgrounds they bring from every corner of campus life. Their success in securing these prestigious fellowships reflects not only their individual hard work and passion, but also the transformative power of a Washington and Lee education,” said Matthew Loar ’07, director of fellowships and student research.

Among the prestigious awards offered in 2025-2026 are seven Fulbright grants (including English Teaching Assistantships and research awards), two Goldwater Scholarships, three Boren Scholarships and three National Science Foundation Fellowships.

Other awards this year include:

• 4 – U.S. Teaching Assistantships in Austria
• 2 — Critical Language Scholarships
• 1 — Davis Projects for Peace Grant
• 1 — FAO Schwarz Fellowship
• 2 — Gilman Scholarships
• 1 — Hertog Foundation Fellowship
• 2 — Omicron Delta Kappa Scholarships
• 1 — Omicron Delta Kappa National Leader of the Year
• 1 — Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
• 2 — Teaching Assistant Program in France

Global Gateway
This year’s fellowships will take students and young alumni around the world, where they will — among other adventures — study zoology in New Zealand; teach English across Europe, Central America and Asia; conduct biochemical research in Austria; and pursue a master’s degree at Cardiff University in Wales.

For many of this year’s recipients, the desire to pursue international opportunities began with W&L’s extensive study abroad program. W&L offers a range of opportunities for students to spend a semester or summer abroad, encouraging them to expand their horizons and learn the importance of engaging in cultures different than their own.

“One of W&L’s strengths is the many opportunities we have as students to explore the world and apply what we’ve learned back on campus,” said Molly Biggs ’26, who received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Germany. “I think it’s a big part of what makes our community interesting and open to learning from others.”

Immersive study abroad experiences — which have become a staple of a W&L education — can be life-changing, leading students to pursue post-graduate opportunities that allow them to return to a beloved study abroad site and continue exploring new places.

Chuck Rutberg ’26 knew he wanted to spend time in France after graduation because of his Spring Term Abroad class in 2024, which took him to Toulouse and Paris with Mohamed Kamara, the H. Laurent Boetsch, Jr. Professor of Romance Languages, and Stephen McCormick, associate professor of French. This dream will become a reality for Rutberg thanks to the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF), which will allow him to spend seven months teaching English in France, an opportunity he considers the “culmination” of his time at W&L.

Nona David ’26 was similarly inspired to apply for a U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) after taking the course “The Cultural Heritage of Austria,” taught by Debra Prager, associate professor of German and department head, during Spring Term 2025. The course was based in Graz, Austria, where David will spend nine months teaching English at a secondary school. Dax Citron ’26 will also return to Austria with a USTA, teaching English at a secondary school in Vienna, a city she first fell in love with while studying abroad there during Fall Term 2025.

“Being abroad in Vienna really opened my eyes to what could be next for me,” Citron said. “It was the first time I felt as though I was standing on my own two feet, and I came out the other side in love with the city and how it made me feel, and with a new confidence in myself and my abilities.”

International Exposure
Fellowships also become a launching pad for W&L students pursuing careers in fields where an understanding of other cultures and international relations is valuable. Ciel Morrill ’26 has long had an interest in languages, and her W&L education helped her realize she could turn her love of languages into a career. She is interested in attending graduate school to study applied linguistics or Japanese linguistics and pursuing a career in the federal government — such as becoming a foreign affairs officer — where she can apply her cultural knowledge and language skills to strengthen international relationships. Morrill will make important strides toward this goal thanks to a Critical Language Scholarship to study Japanese in an immersive eight-week program at Okayama University in Japan this summer, and then a Boren Scholarship to complete a year of intensive Japanese study at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata, Osaka, which will include a homestay during her second semester.

“[These scholarships] put me in an extremely competitive position for my future studies and career […] and I am over the moon to spend the next year living in Japan and taking part in the culture,” Morrill said.

An aspiring immigration lawyer, Celeste Álvarez ’26 is looking forward to immersing herself in a different country and culture as part of her Fulbright ETA in Guatemala. She plans to engage with local organizations that support immigrants and communities abroad and views the ETA as an important step in building humanitarian, linguistic and cultural foundations in her personal and professional life.

“This is an incredible opportunity to serve as a cultural ambassador and gain global competence before I start law school and pursue a legal career,” said Álvarez, who has been granted deferred admission to W&L School of Law to pursue the ETA and will begin law school as a “double general” upon completion of the program. “I am looking forward to engaging with the local community and building reciprocal relationships that foster cross-cultural exchange. I am excited to embark on this journey and make the most of it.”

Read more about individual fellowship recipients and visit the Office of Fellowships to learn more about available opportunities and the application process.

If you know a W&L member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.