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Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Young Alums Selected for Fulbright Grants
The State Department’s Fulbright U.S. Student Program has selected six young Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø alums for its 2026-2027 cycle. They’ll pursue research in France, and teach English in Ecuador, Spain and Mexico. Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø has consistently been a top producing institution in the program.
Fighting for Disability Justice: Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 Awarded Smith Scholarship
Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 has spent most of her life fighting for disability justice, starting a disability alliance club in high school and leading one at Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø, where she majored in disability studies. She received the college’s W. Thomas Smith Scholarship and will head to University College London to pursue a master’s degree in Humanitarian Policy and Practice.
Bridging Divides Through Education: Nina Worley ’26 Awarded Smith Scholarship
Nina Worley ’26 spent her four years at Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø studying and researching education policy in the United States and abroad. She co-founded a tutoring program that matches Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø students with struggling young readers and has been a passionate advocate for educational equity. Worley has been named a W. Thomas Smith Scholar and will spend the next year pursuing a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.
Seeking Justice: Smith Recipients Advocate for Educational Equity, Disability Rights
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø has awarded the W. Thomas Smith Scholarship to Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 and Nina Worley ’26. The scholarship, modeled on those such as the Rhodes and Fulbright, pays for a year of graduate study abroad. Bleifuss, a disability justice advocate, will pursue a master’s degree in Humanitarian Policy and Practice at University College London. Worley, an advocate for educational equity, will pursue a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.
Experiencing Deaf Language and Culture in Far Away Places
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø senior Brooke Lackey ’26, a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), grew up in a close, supportive community where her family felt comfortable and communicated easily through American Sign Language. As a 2026 Thomas J. Watson Fellow, she plans to spend the next year learning other sign languages while exploring the challenges facing Deaf people around the world and seeking ways to create more caring communities.
Conserving Nature, Predicting Changing Water Patterns
Neve Rauscher ’26, a Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø environmental studies major, has been selected as a member of the Watson Foundation’s 58th class of Thomas J. Watson Fellows. A Belk Scholar and Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Outdoors leader, she’ll travel the world to see how communities are adapting to the impact of climate change on their water systems.
Two Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Students Awarded Watson Fellowships
The Watson Foundation has named Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø seniors Brooke Lackey and Neve Rauscher as fellows in its 58th class of Thomas J. Watson Fellows. Lackey will study sign language and Deaf culture in several countries. Rauscher will explore how communities adapt to climate warming and changing water patterns.
Care With Dignity and Kindness: Luis Cordero ’22 on the Power of Community for an Aging Population
Discover how Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø alum and Watson Fellow Luis Cordero ’22 is reimagining elderly care through community-based neurodegenerative disease support. From studying "Dementia Villages" in the Netherlands to public health initiatives in Chicago, Cordero explores intergenerational exchange and dignity-first care, exemplifying the Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø mission of leadership and service.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Continues Streak as a Top Fulbright Producer
The U.S. State Department has once again named Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø as one of its top producing institutions for Fulbright U.S. Student Program finalists. It’s the 11th consecutive year and 13th overall that the college has received the designation.
Rhodes and Bridges
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø's Madeline Dierauf '25, a talented musician and Rhodes Scholar, bridges worlds through her deep roots in Appalachian folk music, rigorous academic pursuits, and commitment to community. Learn more.
Tech, Power and Perspective: Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Grad Wins Gates Cambridge Scholarship to Study AI Ethics Through a Global Lens
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø alum Yashita Kandhari ’22 awarded prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study AI ethics.
The Power of Words: Mav Smith ’26 Awarded Beinecke Scholarship
Writer and poet Mav Smith ’26 has been named to the newest cohort of the prestigious Beinecke Scholarship Program, which will support her post-graduate studies. She’s the fourth Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø student to receive the award in the past 50 years.
Launch Pad to a Global Education: New Funds Inspire Open Minds, Broadened Horizons
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø student Katriel Sander ’27 embarks on a transformative global journey—from Peru to Germany and beyond—thanks to the new Lou Ortmayer Fellowship. Funded by alumnus Steven Porter ’79, the program supports students exploring international public health, combining travel, mentorship, and academic growth.
Igniting the Spark for Young Readers: Education Advocate Steve Mirabello ’25 Awarded Smith Scholarship
At Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Steve Mirabello ’25 immersed himself into learning about education, from tutoring elementary school students to researching in other countries, to analyzing public policy. He has been awarded the college’s W. Thomas Smith Scholarship, which will pay for him to pursue a Master of Science degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Smart, Funny and Tech Savvy: Grace McGuire ’25 Awarded Smith Scholarship
Grace McGuire ’25 plans to create digital content that cuts through the growing problems of disinformation and polarization. Those are among the many reasons the art history and digital studies major has been named a 2025 W. Thomas Smith Scholar. She’s Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s first Smith Scholar who will study for a Master of Philosophy degree in the Digital Humanities program at the University of Cambridge, one of the leading programs in the world.
Smith Scholars Aim to Cut Through Disinformation, Improve Education for All
Grace McGuire '25 and Steve Mirabello '25 are headed to the United Kingdom as this year's W. Thomas Smith Scholars. This scholarship honors graduating seniors for outstanding academic achievement, leadership, character and community service. It models scholarships such as the Rhodes and Fulbright and pays for a year of graduate study abroad. Learn more about their work and where they're headed.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Named Top Fulbright Producer—Again
For the 10th consecutive year, the U.S. State Department has named Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø a top producer for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The nation’s flagship international exchange program funds teaching, research and study abroad.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Scholar-Musician Awarded Rhodes Scholarship
Madeline Dierauf, a Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø senior and professional fiddler, was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship Saturday, making her one of 32 Americans selected this year for one of the most prestigious graduate scholarships in the world. Learn more.
Pickering Fellowship Places Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Alum on Path to Diplomacy
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Alum Ryland Pitts ’20 has been awarded a 2024 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. The State Department fellowship, which includes support for a master’s degree program and domestic and international internships, places him on track to become a U.S. diplomat.
Cultivating World Scholars: Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Remains a Top Fulbright Producer
Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø has been named a top producer for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the ninth consecutive year. The grants fund research, graduate study and teaching around the globe.