W&L Celebrates Another Year of Fellowship Success Another record-setting year for nationally competitive fellowships at W&L can be attributed to students’ dedication and desire to pursue meaningful work on a global stage.

Washington and Lee University has enjoyed another record-setting year for nationally competitive fellowships for the 2024-2025 academic year, with more than 50 recipients among consistently high numbers of student meetings, applications and recipients. Student and alumni recipients attribute their success to the intensive guidance and support offered by university staff and faculty.

This year’s awards will provide students and young alumni with financial support as they pursue meaningful work on a global stage, including studying wildlife conservation in Tanzania, teaching English in Uzbekistan, conducting public health research in the Netherlands and completing a fine arts internship in Spain.

“I remain deeply impressed by our students’ hard work, their thirst for new experiences and their commitment to solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Matthew Loar ’07, director of fellowships and student research. “It is a privilege to work with such talented students, and it is our great fortune to be able to collaborate with so many dedicated faculty and staff colleagues as they support and mentor these students.”

Among the prestigious awards offered in 2024-2025 are 11 Fulbright grants, representing the university’s fourth consecutive year with double-digit recipients. W&L was also named a top producer of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh consecutive year, ranking sixth among the baccalaureate institutions recognized by the Fulbright Program.

This past academic year also saw a record 20 Gilman Scholarships, speaking to W&L students’ ambitious pursuit of opportunities to further their academic and professional growth.

Other awards this year include:

• 2 — Boren Scholarships
• 1 — Center for Arabic Study Abroad Fellowship
• 7 — Critical Language Scholarships
• 1 — Goldwater Scholarship
• 1 — Herzog Foundation Fellowship
• 1 — Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
• 1 — School for International Training Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship
• 7 — U.S. Teaching Assistantships to Austria

This year’s fellowships performance speaks to the intelligence and talent of W&L students, as well as the significant time and energy that goes into preparing an application — a particularly impressive feat for such a highly involved campus community. This most recent cohort of recipients represents 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.

Making an Impact
Of the more than 170 fellowship applications submitted by W&L students this year, 83 resulted in the student advancing to the next round of the competition — meaning they either received the grant, were placed on the alternate list or were named a semifinalist or finalist.

“Fellowship applicants come to us with diverse experiences, academic majors and life goals,” said Dallas Tatman, assistant director of fellowships and visiting instructor of anthropology. “But they all share the curiosity, creativity and courage to embrace new places and possibilities. I am incredibly proud of this applicant cohort and thankful for the exceptional academic and administrative infrastructure supporting them.”

Loar and Tatman play a large role in students’ awareness of and application to the numerous fellowships and scholarships available. They get to know each student personally, helping them refine their applications and find the best fit for their talents and ambitions. This past academic year, 131 students applied for at least one fellowship, and Loar and Tatman held more than 1,100 individual student meetings with more than 320 students, demonstrating a commitment to student achievement that makes W&L’s ongoing fellowship success possible.

“Dr. Loar and Dr. Tatman have seen me through innumerable rough drafts, prepped me for important interviews and guided me to the opportunities that best fit my interests and goals,” said Jack Evans ’25, who was named a Grand Strategy Fellow by the Hertog Foundation’s Security Studies Program and also received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Uzbekistan. “They are a huge part of my W&L experience, and I couldn’t thank them enough if I tried.”

The mentorship of faculty and staff members — a hallmark of a W&L education — also plays a significant role in students’ preparation for numerous fellowship opportunities. Through classes that expand worldviews, thoughtful conversations during office hours and involvement in campus organizations, W&L’s faculty and staff help guide students through their postgraduate decisions, encouraging them to take leaps and pursue their passions.

For Mariam Drammeh ’25, her faculty mentors “poured so much light into [her] life,” and she is grateful for the community she found at W&L, which created countless impactful experiences during her four years on campus. Drammeh received a USTA (and a Fulbright ETA, which she ultimately declined) and is eager to gain skills that will apply to her future work with refugee settlement and integration.

Abby Moore ’25 received a Fulbright Open Research Award to conduct biomedical research at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, an important step in her plan to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. in oncology. She credits Fiona Watson, associate professor of biology, with inspiring her to pursue a research career and teaching her “what it means to be an intuitive, independent and deeply curious scientist.”

The USTA is a particularly meaningful opportunity for Kiki Mittner ’25, as she will be placed at an all-girls boarding school in the Austrian town where her grandmother was born. She will be working at a “green” school that focuses on sustainable agriculture, a topic she became passionate about pursuing with the encouragement and support of her faculty mentors, including Robert Humston, the John Kyle Spencer Director for Environmental Studies and professor of biology, and Debra Frein, the environmental studies program coordinator.

Lifelong Learners
Through their studies and post-graduate career paths, W&L’s fellowship recipients demonstrate a commitment to the pursuit of lifelong learning, embodying the university’s mission to prepare graduates for engaged citizenship in a global and diverse society. The opportunities provided by the various fellowships will help the students grow personally, academically and professionally, equipping them with valuable skills as they take the next steps to pursue their passions.

Lela Casey ’25 is excited to continue strengthening her language skills in an immersive setting, having received a Critical Language Scholarship (her second) to study Arabic in Jordan this summer, as well as a full-year fellowship to study Arabic in Morocco through the Center for Arabic Study Abroad program, which will conclude in May 2026.

“I want to continue meeting new people and learning about their communities and experiences,” Casey said. “Arabic fluency will help me communicate with people affected by foreign policy and provide me with the cultural competency to understand its impacts.”

The opportunity to teach English to German-speaking students in Europe is “a dream come true” for Katie Wagner ’25, who received a USTA and will teach in two schools outside of Vienna. An aspiring German language educator, Wagner is looking forward to developing her linguistic and cultural competencies in an immersive environment and is grateful for W&L’s study abroad opportunities, which she says were foundational in strengthening her German language skills and helping her gain confidence in herself and her ability to navigate new situations.

“There is only so much I can understand about Austrian culture by learning about it in a classroom,” Wagner said. “It’s a whole other thing to experience that lifestyle first-hand.”

Alexis Thompson ’27 and Chace Thompson ’27 are also grateful for the opportunity to expand their horizons through immersive experiences thanks to the Gilman Scholarship, which supports students participating in study abroad programs and internships around the world.

With the Gilman Scholarship, Alexis will spend a semester studying in Rome, where she hopes to deepen her knowledge of the ancient world while exploring Rome’s rich historical sites and pursuing an additional minor in classics.

“This scholarship opens the door to a transformative international experience … [allowing] me to gain a global perspective that will be invaluable as I pursue my future career and personal growth,” she said.

Chace will participate in a global citizenship education program in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy, fulfilling a lifelong dream to study abroad, driven by his desire to meet and engage with people from different backgrounds.

“This scholarship represents more than just funding,” said Chace. “It symbolizes the bridge between my roots as a low-income, first-generation college student from rural Appalachian West Virginia and the vast world I’ve always dreamed of exploring but never thought would be a possibility for me.”

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 student who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.