2025-2026 Recipients
We invite you to get to know Bowdoin’s 2025-2026 national fellowship recipients. Below you will find a brief profile of each awardee, organized by award type.
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship
Shep Solimine '26 is a German major and mathematics minor from Pelham, New York. At Bowdoin, he has been deeply involved in the music community through a cappella and bands. Beginning in June, Shep will spend a year in Germany as a recipient of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) grant, participating in language immersion, university study, and a professional internship. He hopes to intern within the German legal system, exploring the intersections of U.S. and German law. Shep plans to attend law school following his time abroad.
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship
After graduating with a German major and physics minor, Frances will spend a year in Germany through the CBYX fellowship. While there, she hopes to pursue studies and an internship in public health, and apply that upon her return to a career in healthcare. She hopes to learn more about the German healthcare system, and then use those perspectives to inform her future career. Originally from Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Frances was a member of the Nordic ski team and a German learning assistant during her time at Bowdoin. She looks forward to living with a host family, improving her German, and experiencing working and studying in Germany!
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship
Noa graduated from Bowdoin in 2025 with majors in Government & Legal Studies and German, and will spend the next year in Germany as a CBYX fellow, studying, interning, and representing the US as a cultural ambassador. She is interested in a career in conflict prevention and migration, and is excited to pursue these interests in Germany. At Bowdoin, Noa was on the crew team, served as a learning and research assistant, served on the McKeen Center's Common Good Grant Committee, and interned at the Consortium on Gender, Security & Human Rights. Noa, who attended a German immersion school starting in kindergarten, looks forward to applying her years of language study in an international setting.
Critical Language Scholarship
As a recipient of the Critical Language Scholarship, Ravi will study Arabic in Tangier, Morocco through an intensive 2 month program. Ravi is grateful for the Arabic and Francophone Studies departments at Bowdoin for developing him as a person and as a linguist. As a Government & Legal Studies and Environmental Studies major, Ravi is excited to refine his Arabic skills so he may work with Arabic-speaking communities to build a resilient future. At Bowdoin, Ravi particularly enjoyed trip-leading with the Outing Club and playing the occasional saxophone gig.
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, Spain
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, Uganda
To his great delight, Adam graduated in 2026 with a Francophone Studies and Government and Legal Studies major. Now, he is quite excited to teach English in Kampala, Uganda, as a recipient of the Fulbright ETA Award. Accompanied by the Sisyphean goal of understanding the full breadth of human experience, Adam will set out to participate in Ugandan life through linguistic and cultural exchange. During his time at Bowdoin, Adam was interested in questions concerning immigration, legal and social identity, language and justice. The very same moment he returns to the USA, Adam will turn his thoughts toward government service and soon hopes to find himself in law school.
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, Mexico
Lily was a double major in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Birmingham, Alabama. At Bowdoin, she was a member of the Women’s Volleyball team and flutist in the Concert Band. She also served as an AI Research Assistant in the Hispanic Studies Department, researching Sor Juana scholarship and writers such as Margo Glantz. Beyond campus, Lily volunteers with Trinity Outreach Hub in Birmingham, providing Spanish-language support for underserved families. Through her grant, she hopes to explore the intersections of literature, language, culture, and citizenship before attending law school and pursuing a career in immigration law.
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, Czech Republic
Maya graduated in 2025 with a major in English and a minor in Dance. During her time at Bowdoin, she researched the olfactory sense in Asian diaspora literature, co-led Bowdoin’s contemporary dance group, and volunteered as a literacy tutor at a local elementary school. She spent the last year completing an MPhil in English Studies at the University of Cambridge. Maya is excited to further her love of language and storytelling by serving as an English Teaching Assistant in the Czech Republic. Upon returning to the United States, she hopes to pursue a career as a professor of English literature.
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, South Korea
As a recipient of the Fulbright award, Eli will spend a year working as an English teaching assistant in South Korea. Eli was inspired to apply for the Fulbright after learning about South Korea’s educational culture and studying the country’s sustainable transportation networks. As an Environmental Studies and Biology major, Eli will apply his passion for municipal politics and music to South Korea’s communal culture. In the future, Eli hopes to return to Maine to pursue his interests in writing policy and building sustainable communities, potentially attending law school or joining a local nonprofit.
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, Vietnam
After graduating from Bowdoin with a double major in Anthropology and Biochemistry and a minor in Asian Studies, Anna will serve as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Vietnam (2026-2027). At Bowdoin, she was the Equity and Inclusion Program Coordinator at the McKeen Center and a THRIVE and Geoffrey Canada Scholars peer mentor. She was also president of the Asian Students Alliance and the Vietnamese Students Association. Through her Fulbright, she looks forward to supporting language learning, building meaningful connections, and immersing herself in Vietnamese communities. After the grant, Anna hopes to support underserved populations through a career in healthcare.
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, Vietnam
Tran was a History Honors and Government double major who is passionate about exploring the intersection of international relations, public policy, and education. Professionally, he has helped teach hundreds of high school students public speaking, writing, negotiation practices, and reasearch skills through multiple Model UN organizations. At Bowdoin, he rowed for the lightweight crew team, sang bass a cappella, and helped restart and lead the Model UN Club. He has also dabbled as an amateur archeologist. Tran is excited to promote cross-border connections and develop a greater understanding of Vietnam.
Fulbright Grants for English Teaching Assistantships, Germany
After graduating with a major in Earth and Oceanographic Science and a minor in German, Ben will travel to Germany to be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant for the upcoming academic year. Having only begun learning German at Bowdoin, Ben has first-hand appreciation for the joy of language education and cultural exploration that he plans to pay forward abroad. He hopes to incorporate his interests of classic rock, comedy, and geography in the classroom. Following his Fulbright year, Ben plans to work in the environmental sector back in the US and later pursue a master's degree.
Fulbright Grants for Study/Research, Hungary
After graduating from Bowdoin with a double major in Earth and Oceanographic Science and Physics, Alex will conduct geophysics research at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics in Hungary through the Fulbright Program. Building on prior research, he will continue his work on muography, a technique that uses naturally occurring cosmic particles called muons to image atmospheric and geologic structures. At Bowdoin, Alex combined outdoor leadership with the Bowdoin Outing Club and research in natural hazard processes, shaping his interest in complex Earth systems. He is excited to return to Hungary to advance his research and contribute to international collaboration in geophysics.
Fulbright Grants for Study/Research, Germany
After graduating from Bowdoin with an Environmental Studies and Government coordinate major and German minor, Chloë will research Germany's energy security at the Forschungsinstitut für Nachhaltigkeit in Potsdam, Germany. At Bowdoin, Chloë completed an honors project on offshore wind energy, was a research assistant, a Program Coordinator at the McKeen Center, a senior Admissions interviewer, and competed as a player and a captain on the women's rugby team. She looks forward to applying her experiences researching energy and conducting interviews to qualitative research on Germany's energy policy decisions and impacts. She plans to pursue a master's degree and a career in energy policy.
Fulbright Grants for Study/Research, Slovenia
After graduating from Bowdoin with a double major in Computer Science and Environmental Studies, Kyle will continue to explore the intersection of these disciplines as a Fulbright Study Research recipient to Slovenia. His project will use drones and computer vision to create a GEOAI toolkit to enhance forestry management in the country. On campus, Kyle was the captain of the club alpine ski team, research assistant in the ES department, and teaching assistant for multiple GIS classes. While in Slovenia, Kyle also plans to teach English, coach a middle school ski team, and help teach underprivileged children learn to ski.
Fulbright UK Summer Institutes, Scotland
William Dinh majors in Mathematics and Economics with a minor in History at Bowdoin College. Through the Fulbright UK Summer Institute at the University of St Andrews, William will study Scottish history and national identity through immersive, lived experience. Originally from Katy, Texas, he is eager to share Scottish perspectives with his community and foster greater cross-cultural understanding. At Bowdoin, he works at the Outing Club climbing wall and enjoys kayaking and canoeing. William also hopes to see Scotland’s famous Highland cows.
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
Sree is a chemistry major who plans on pursuing a PhD in chemistry. She has been a part of research projects with Barry Logan and Elizabeth Stemmler, and she has also completed an REU at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her senior year, Sree will be working on an Honors Project with Prof. Stemmler. After graduation, she hopes to conduct research in environmental or green chemistry, and being a mentor to students will be a priority for her in graduate school and beyond. On campus, Sree is a learning assistant in the chemistry department and a singer in the Bowdoin Chamber Choir.
Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
Matteo is a Government and Legal Studies/Asian Studies double-major interested in the intersections between law, culture, history, language, and politics. He has studied Japanese each year at Bowdoin and was the recipient of the Summer Language Award to partake in intensive language study in Hokkaido, Japan. An active participant in the Japanese Culture Society at Bowdoin, he is interested in finding real-world applications for the study of Japan-U.S. relations. Accepted as a Coordinator for International Relations with the Japan Exchange and Teaching program, Matteo is excited to offer a liberal arts perspective and use the experience to pursue a future career in international law.
National Science Foundation - Graduate Research Fellowship
Clara is a '23 grad and current marine biological technician at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. She will matriculate into a PhD at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) this fall, where she will work with oyster aquaculturist and ecologist Bill Walton. She plans to explore how aquaculture infrastructure may serve as a nursery for blue crabs, possibly altering the movement and survival of juveniles. While at Bowdoin, Clara was a Biology (EEMB) major, Math minor, BOC trip leader, and Naturalist club co-leader. Today, you'll find her either knitting, drinking coffee with friends, or splashing around in a creek.
National Science Foundation - Graduate Research Fellowship
Olivia graduated from Bowdoin College in 2023 with a major in Biology (concentration in Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology). While there, she researched pollination ecology and local adaption. These experiences shaped her interest in understanding the role of adaptive divergence and ecological interactions in the formation of new species, or speciation. After graduating, she worked as a technician in a lab studying gall-forming flies to investigate how host plant associations impact this process. Olivia is excited to continue studying ecological speciation this fall when she begins her Ph.D. in Plant Biology at UT Austin this fall.
National Science Foundation - Graduate Research Fellowship
Ben graduated Bowdoin in December 2023 as a Biology major and Visual Arts minor. While at Bowdoin, Ben volunteered with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust and completed a CXD funded internship doing insect conservation work with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama City, Panama. As a current Biology PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania, Ben studies insect disease vectors, such as hard ticks, and the diseases they transmit.
Princeton in Latin America, Honduras
Camilla is a Government and Legal Studies and Hispanic Studies double major with interests in Latin America, education, and community engagement. In August, she will travel to Honduras, where she will serve as an English teacher at Honduras Independence Bilingual School for a year. At Bowdoin, Camilla volunteered teaching conversational English to New Mainers in Brunswick and participated in the Student Community Action Network, through which she interned with the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. These experiences strengthened her commitment to working with marginalized communities through education and service.
St. Andrews Society Scholarship
Ruby Fyffe studies History and Government and Legal Studies. She has demonstrated a deep commitment to public service, including serving as a legislative intern in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and as a program coordinator for the Bowdoin Public Service Initiative. Her experiences have shaped her interest in how the U.S. Constitution influences American governance, as well as in broader methods of constitutional interpretation. She will be pursuing an MLitt in Legal and Constitutional Studies at the University of St Andrews, where she plans to further explore theories of constitutionalism through an interdisciplinary lens.
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
Chinwe Bruns '25 is a biochemistry major and Francophone studies minor with a deep interest in the intersection of medicine and storytelling. As a Watson Fellow, she will travel to Norway, New Zealand, Thailand, Brazil, and Sierra Leone to investigate narrative medicine—how storytelling humanizes medical care and serves as a form of healing itself. At each site, she will explore indigenous oral traditions, community rituals, and clinical practices that center the whole patient. After her Watson year, she plans to attend medical school with the goal of practicing medicine that treats people, not just symptoms.
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
Graduating with a double major in Neuroscience and English with a concentration in creative writing, Lilly will spend next year studying intergenerational trauma and holistic healing in South Korea, South Africa, Germany, and Taiwan through the Watson Fellowship. Her experience as a behavioral health technician, work in a lab studying PTSD and anxiety, and ethnographic research for a novel exploring cross-cultural understanding inspired her passion for integrative health and global perspectives. Lilly also enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and playing pool. After the fellowship, she plans to pursue a career in medicine centered on compassionate, patient-focused care.