All News

Three jet-setting members of the class of ’25 are packing their bags and heading to new countries through the prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) awards. They will return to study abroad favorites, embrace new cultures, and serve as bridges between the U.S. and the world. In addition, Jason Le ’23 is the recipient of an ETA Award to Vietnam.

Three Hamilton students —Gabrielle (Gaby) Guerra ’27, Tzu Han (Annie) Huang ’27, and Darian Torres ’27 — will study abroad during the next year, thanks to assistance from Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships.

As the 2024-25 academic year wraps up, we’re proud to celebrate students who have received national fellowships and scholarships, presented at conferences, and earned other recognition.

Naval Lappalainen ’25 and Xavier McMahon ’27 have been awarded Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) to study Russian this summer. Lappalainen, a double major in history and Russian Studies, from Wilmington, Del., will study in Kyrgyzstan, and McMahon, a double major in world politics and Russian studies from Louisville, Kentucky, will be based in Daugavpils, Latvia.

Sabina Feder ’25 and Brianna “Bri” Padilla ’25 both received Hamilton’s prestigious Bristol Fellowship, which sponsors projects “based on strong personal interest and commitment” and that “exhibit a spirit of inquisitiveness and a seriousness of purpose.”

Quentin Messer ’26 was recently awarded a Harry S. Truman Scholarship to pursue work in industrial and manufacturing policy. He becomes Hamilton’s third recipient of the prestigious award, presented to students interested in careers in public service, following Dewayne Martin ’24 and Frederick Nelson ’78. A world politics concentrator, Messer plans to pursue a J.D. and Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) following graduation.

Yuxuan Xu ’26 has been named a recipient of the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a national award that supports students intending to pursue research careers in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. For Xu, the recognition wasn’t just a validation of his work — it was a meaningful milestone after years of dedicated effort and strong mentorship at Hamilton.

Andrew Fredericks ’25 and Charlie Haberstock ’25 both received a 2025 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, a national $40,000 grant to pursue a one-year passion project anywhere in the world. While receiving the award is a feat in and of itself, the two geosciences majors were particularly excited when they heard that the other had won. Close friends since their first year at Hamilton, the pair had supported each other throughout the Watson application process.

Individuality. Creativity. Collaboration. Dependence. To Charlie Ratner ’23, lacrosse has always provided the perfect blend of striving for success both as an individual and working together as a cohesive team. These qualities have been the building blocks of Ratner’s life; in fact, he describes his lacrosse stick as an inherent part of his very being.

For the 21st consecutive year, Hamilton has been recognized among the colleges and universities with the most students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.