National Awards AY 2023-2024
Rhodes Scholarship
Bertha has been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship. Upon her selection, Bertha became Claremont McKenna’s second female Rhodes Scholar, following Sarah Chen ’22, who became the first in 2021. She is an international student from Namibia and her selection makes her the fourth Rhodes Scholar in her country’s history. In a statement, the Rhodes Trust said that Tobias was the selection committee’s unanimous choice for this prestigious award.
Bertha is an International Relations major with a sequence in Leadership Studies and is set to graduate from CMC this December. She’ll head to the United Kingdom in August, and in October join a cohort of more than a hundred scholars from around the world to undertake fully funded post-graduate studies at the University of Oxford, “becoming part of a strong community of young leaders determined to make a positive difference in the world,” according to the Rhodes Trust.
Bertha has been involved with the Keck Center through the World Affairs Podcast Program, Winter Passion Projects and the Summer Research Program.
Award recipients will be featured as they are announced in Spring 2024!
National Awards AY 2022-2023
Truman Scholarship
Pieter has been awarded a Truman Scholarship, the nation’s most prestigious and competitive scholarship for aspiring public service leaders. Pieter studies Government and Asian Studies at CMC and is interested in political, economic, and military issues in the Indo-Pacific. He is CMC’s 20th Truman Scholar since the coveted scholarship was established by Congress in 1975. Each Truman Scholar demonstrates outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Truman Scholars receive funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.
Pieter has been involved with the Keck Center through the International Journalism Program, Passion Projects Program, and as delegate to the 2023 NAFAC conference.
Fulbright Grant
Thomas has been awarded a Fulbright grant to study in Taiwan where he will teach English and participate in cultural exchange in the southern county of Pingtung. Thomas majored in International Relations with a regional focus on East Asia. His honors senior thesis on the history of homosexuality and LGBT rights in China was awarded the Keck Outstanding Thesis Award in History and International Relations. In Taiwan, he hopes to expand his “frame of reference and knowledge base about Taiwanese culture, politics, and economics, while also developing an international network of friends and colleagues”. He also plans to deepen his knowledge of Mandarin.
Thomas has been involved with the Keck Center through the International Journalism Program and travel to Thailand.
Emerson National Hunger Fellowship
Jeanie has been awarded the prestigious Emerson National Hunger Fellowship. She is an international student from Santiago, Chile, majoring in Environment, Economics, and Politics (EEP). Jeanie is the first CMCer to be awarded an 11-month Emerson National Hunger Fellowship for combatting hunger and poverty in the U.S.
Jeanie has been involved with the Keck Center through the Passion Projects Program.
Projects for Peace
Bertha has been awarded a Projects for Peace grant for a significant summer community development project. She is a dual major in International Relations and Economics. Bertha is a Namibian international-award winning speaker, activist and youth leader. Her labors of love are serving as #BeFree ambassador in the Office of the First Lady of the Republic of Namibia and working as an African Union Youth Charter Country Representative. On campus, she is a Davis Scholar, serves as the Vice President of the Class of 2024, and works as a tour guide in the Office of Admission.
Bertha has been involved with the Keck Center through the podcasting program.
National Awards AY 2022-2023
Rhodes Scholarship
Sarah has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, the most competitive and prestigious scholarship in the world. This is the third time in Claremont McKenna College’s history, a CMC senior has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship.
Sarah is a dual major in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) and international relations, is Claremont McKenna’s first female Rhodes Scholar and the first from the College in 28 years. She is studying the emerging discipline of strategic wargaming, specifically, how to build better wargames meant for educating policy decision makers and surveying the public on technology and cyberspace issues.
Sarah is a Keck Center Ambassador and has been involved with the Keck Center through various programs and opportunities during her time at CMC.
Boren Scholarship
Genevieve has been was awarded a Boren Scholarship, a program funded by the US government to foster careers in diplomacy and security. Following her graduation from Claremont McKenna in December 2022, this program will take Genevieve to Taiwan for additional Mandarin language training, after which she will enter government service.
Genevieve’s interests are in international affairs and security, particularly in the Middle East, China-Gulf state relations, and American foreign policy. She has worked as a researcher at several institutions including, the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Brookings Institution and the Albright Stonebridge Group, to mention a few.
Genevieve is a Keck Center Ambassador and has been involved with the Keck Center through the International Journalism Program and several other programs.
Critical Language Scholarship
José has been awarded the Critical Language Scholarship to study Brazilian Portuguese. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Each summer, American undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities across the country, spend eight to ten weeks learning one of thirteen languages at an intensive study abroad institute. The CLS Program is designed to promote rapid language gains and essential intercultural fluency in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity.
José is an International Relations major and has been involved with the Keck Center through the Travel to Thailand program.
USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship
Angel has been awarded the USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship. He is CMC’s first recipient of this fellowship, which began in 2013. The Fellowship, which selected 15 fellows this year, is a federally funded program meant to attract outstanding individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It provides funding towards a two-year master’s program related to international development, as well as professional development, mentoring from USAID foreign officers, and internships. Recipients must then commit to work for a minimum of five years as USAID foreign service officers.
Angel is a History major and has been involved with the Keck Center through its internship program.