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Millie Ramirez, a candidate for May graduation from Hamilton College, has been awarded the College's Bristol Fellowship.

The Bristol Fellowship was begun in 1996 as part of a gift to Hamilton College by William M. Bristol, Jr., (class of 1917). Its purpose is to perpetuate Mr. Bristol's spirit and share it with students of the college that was such an important part of this life. Created by his family, the fellowship is designed to encourage Hamilton students to experience the richness of the world by living outside the United States for one year and studying an area of great personal interest.

Ramirez's project is titled, "Beyond the Lonely Planet: Examining Youth Affected by AIDS in Latin America." She will look at the social and emotional development of children affected by AIDS in Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil, and how those countries respond to and address the children's needs.  She intends to  go beyond superficial depictions given by travel guides and examine the availability of medical, educational and social resources for children affected by AIDS in these countries. She chose Mexico, Brazil and Ecuador because they illustrate different resources and responses to the AIDS epidemic among youth. Ramirez intends to carry out an in-depth, cross-cultural exploration of the development of the problem by traveling to various cities and interviewing workers and directors of organizations that address the problem of AIDS.

Ramirez, a psychology major at Hamilton, is a graduate of Tabor Academy. While at Hamilton she has been a volunteer, recruitment chair and site leader for Hamilton's Action Volunteer Outreach Coalition; a member of La Vanguardia; and a member of the Black and Latin Student Union. In 2001 she volunteered at Hogar Mariloli, a children's AIDS orphanage in Santo Domingo, where she spent a semester, and last summer she conducted autism research in the McNair Summer Research Program at the University of Rochester. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Ramirez of New York City.

The Bristol Fellowship is intended to be highly personal and is open to all interested Hamilton seniors. Proposals are evaluated based on inquisitiveness, a spirit of adventure, depth of personal interest, and openness to other cultures. While not a requirement, proposals are also considered for their sense of family connection.

William Bristol served as a Hamilton trustee, president of the alumni association, fundraiser and benefactor. He was one of six generations of Bristol family members to attend Hamilton, dating back to the chartering of the college in 1812. Mr. Bristol's great, great grandfather became one of the college's first trustees after helping to found the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, which later became Hamilton College in 1793.

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