2023 – 2024 Nominees:

• Kayla Harstad, Nominee: Tribal Policy
• Grace Buckman, Honorable Mention: Environment
• Dahlia Gietka, Nominee: Environment
• Lily Peterson, Nominee: Environment
• Ava Vaughan, Nominee: Environment

Kayla Harstad

Sophomore, American Indian Studies

Kayla Harstad is studying Political Science and American Indian Studies at UW. She is an intern for the Urban Native Education Alliance (UNEA) grassroots non-profit that centers in on serving Indigenous youth in the greater Seattle area. UNEA was founded in 2008 to engage all generations to serve and empower Native youth through education, culture, and tradition. She currently serves as a “Special Projects Intern,” who helps promote leadership, mentorship building, activism, and advocacy to Native youth. During her time as intern for UNEA, she has worked on creating MMIWP proclamations, Land Acknowledgements, Moniker Removals, and Resolutions for the Seattle and Shoreline Public school districts with her fellow interns. Applying to the UDALL scholarship would allow her to network and gain opportunities with like minded peers and alumni who can help create connections to help further her academic journey, while also bringing the resources and knowledge back to her community.

Kayla’s tip: Reach to your community for guidance. Don’t be afraid to ask for help on drafts and finalizations from advisors, mentors, and community members. The tricky part to the prompts are being able to shorten and review your answers.

Grace Buckman – 2024 Honorable Mention

Junior, Political Science & Geography

I am pursuing a double major in Political Science and Geography. I was originally interested in a career in Environmental Science, and although I am still personally passionate about nature and the environment, I learned through experience that the policy and social aspects of the environment were what excited me the most. Within Geography, I can learn more in the fields of ecology, mapping, sustainability, and policy. I am particularly interested in the field of environmental justice within carceral systems and am currently working on a personal research project on this topic. In my free time, I dj for the student-run radio station here at UW, Rainy Dawg Radio!

Grace’s tip: Find a way to weave your experiences and interests into a cohesive story which can showcase your personal values.

Dahlia Gietka

Sophomore, Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management

My professional aspirations are to use my environmental science knowledge, my leadership, field, and research experience, and my collaboration skills to address the needs of communities living with the disproportionate impacts of climate change. I intend to address these needs by restoring culturally and environmentally significant landscapes. In order to thrive, communities need healthy, functioning, safe natural spaces to recreate, work, and live. I plan to engage in work that promotes the development of these spaces in Indigenous communities, communities of color, rural communities, coastal communities, and low income communities. These are the communities being most severely impacted by climate change. Therefore, we must prioritize their safety and well-being immediately. One way this could look is providing consultation to community groups looking to sustain urban agriculture enterprises. This could also look like assisting government organizations in assessing restoration needs and executing equitable restoration projects. Or, this might mean doing important research that provides the scientific community with insights about climate change and conservation needs. Ultimately, I am determined to use my skills, knowledge, and experience to support communities in need of ecological restoration.

Lily Peterson

Junior, Marine Biology & minor in Drama

My main interests as I pursue my undergraduate degree in Marine Biology lie in conservation research and marine mammal stranding. I have worked alongside the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group to help in the conservation of Dungeness Crab populations in the Pacific Northwest waters, a threat facing our ecosystems as well as economics. I have also done a lot of my own research on the importance of eelgrass beds and their declining presence in the Salish Sea. In addition, taking classes spring quarter at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories and being a running start student at the Ocean Research College Academy, I have been able to witness a lot of necropsies on stranded animals in the Salish Sea. I have not had a chance to get hands-on experience with this type of work yet, but I am hoping that the connections I have made in both of these environments will provide an experience soon. I am also passionate about advocacy for the health of our marine environments and have gotten the chance to lead high schoolers on field trips to teach them about our intertidal zones in the Salish Sea. Over the years, I have also gotten the chance to work with the Students Saving Salmon program, a non-proft in my hometown dedicated to public outreach and stream and marsh restoration with the intention of improving salmon habitats. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to apply for the Udall scholarship so that I can continue my passion of environmental advocacy and leadership and have some funding to continue research in the areas of conservation that I am passionate about, especially eelgrass restoration. I also hope that this scholarship will help fund my exit out of undergraduate school and into a graduate school program in Astrobiology. Having an alumni network and a network of other Udall Scholars available to me would be such a privilege and would get me one step further in achieving my many goals.

Ava Vaughan

Sophomore, Business Administration & Environmental Studies

I have always been passionate about changing the world for the better. When deciding my career trajectory, I wanted something that would allow me to enact widespread action, while providing my life with meaning. With this criteria in mind, I set off on a path that fused my passion for equity and community with the largest challenge our population has ever faced: the climate crisis. As a dual degree in business administration and environmental studies, I plan to marry a firm understanding of market systems and the environment to decarbonize our economy. Growing up in a small agricultural community and minoring in nutrition, I strongly believe in the importance of food sovereignty. I plan to focus my work on the intersection of food, public health, and economic development. Currently, I am the Vice President of Net Impact, a student organization that promotes sustainability at the Foster School of Business and connects students with careers in the climate space. I am also a member of the Dirty Dozen Student Farm Club, where I get the opportunity to work with the UW community to advance sustainable food systems. As a Student Representative on the board of the Population Health Initiative, I take great pride in seeing how the different pieces of my education and extracurriculars fit together.
Ava’s tip: Take advantage of the advisors! They are extremely helpful!

Isabell Ellison, Scholar

Isabell Ellison is pursuing a civil engineering degree at the University of Washington in Seattle and is passionate about improving communities through infrastructure. She is a member of American Indian Science and Engineering Society and has participated in the First Nations Rocket Launch. Isabell currently interns at Koniag Inc., her regional Alaska Native Corporation, and has previously interned at Afognak Native Corporation, her village Alaska Native Corporation. She is an officer for Canoe Family at UW, a student organization created to bring Pacific Northwestern Indigenous Canoe Culture to Indigenous students at UW. In her free time, Isabell loves to explore the outdoors and be with her friends and family.

• Jonathan Kwong Scholar: Environment
• Rosalie Fish, Honorable Mention: Tribal Policy
• Claire McCreery: Tribal Policy
• Hannah Harris: Environment
• Amishi Sing: Environment
• Lillian Williamson: Environment

Jonathan Kwong, Scholar

Jonathan Kwong (they/he) is a second-year undergraduate studying Environmental Science & Resource Management with Interdisciplinary Honors and an emphasis in Oceanic & Pacific Islander Studies. They are a 2021 Doris Duke Conservation Scholar with UC Santa Cruz, a 2021 UW Alumni Association Homecoming Scholar and a 2022 NOAA Hollings Scholar. At UW, they are an Ambassador for the College of the Environment and an Officer for the UW Queer People of Color Alliance. Being multi-passionate, Jonathan is interested and involved in a variety of research topics from social science to marine science. At the UW School of Social Work, they are a research assistant at the Ola Pasifika Lab, researching Queer & Trans Pacific Islander Health. At the UW Department of Biology, they are a research assistant in the Santana Lab, studying the dental morphology of bats. At the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery, they are a research assistant in the Wood Lab, investigating the health of coral reef ecosystems by looking at pollution-driven parasites in coral reef fish. If Indigenous communities were left alone, then there would be no need for the environmental science field. Jonathan aims to uplift Indigenous voices and ensure that people of color are heard instead of tokenized. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) needs to be learned and not extracted from communities. As Jonathan moves forward in their career as a scientist, they want to reform how scientists show up in the community spaces and make sure that fieldwork data collection isn’t exploitative and extractive to the community.

Rosalie Fish, Honorable Mention

Rosalie Fish is a student athlete and advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women MMIW. Rosalie plans to use her education to bring social welfare to the tribes around Washington state. Rosalie plans to run for Cowlitz tribal council, and eventually work for the Washington state Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Rosalie was featured in the UW magazine for her advocacy for the MMIW movement. Rosalie is also a 2022 Truman Scholar!

Sierra Campbell, Scholar

Junior, Education, Communities & Organizations major, Environmental Studies minor

Ammara Touch, Nominee

Junior, Biology & American Ethnic Studies major, Diversity minor

Anya Gavrylko, Nominee

Sophomore, Environmental Studies major

Emily Poulin, Nominee

Junior, Marine Biology & Biology (Physiology) majors

Rose Schoenfeld, Nominee

Sophomore, Atmospheric Sciences major, Applied Mathematics minor

Autumn Forespring, Nominee

Junior, Environmental Science & Resource Management major

Cecilia Hoffman, Scholar

Junior, Education, Communities & Organizations major

Helen Ganahl, Scholar

Junior, Community, Environment & Planning majo

Xavaar Quaranto, Nominee

Biology and History majors

Tiara Adler, Nominee

Junior, Environmental Studies and Spanish major

Rachel Fricke, Nominee

Junior, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and Environmental Studies major

Ashley Lewis, Scholar

Junior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences major

Alishia Orloff, Scholar

Junior, Environmental Science & Resource Management major

Ben Weymiller, Nominee

Junior, Business Administration and Chinese Studies major

Madison Bristol, Nominee

Sophomore, Environmental Science & Resource Management and Dance major

Talia Haller, Nominee

Junior, Business Administration and International Studies majors

Emily Menz, Nominee

Sophomore, Environmental Studies and Economics majors

Nola Peshkin, Nominee

Sophomore, English major

Talia Haller, Nominee

Sophomore, Business Administration and International Studies major

Feben Gebremichael, Nominee

Drama, Performance major

John McClung, Nominee

Anthropology major

Patricia Allen-Dick, Nominee

Social Welfare major

Corinna Tordillos, Nominee

Biochemistry and American Indian Studies majors

Sarah Boone, Nominee

Junior, International Studies major, Environmental Studies minor

William Franklin, Nominee

Junior, Art major

Rachel Stubbs, Honorable Mention

Biology (Ecology, Evolution & Conservation) major

Johannah Verhulst, Nominee

Junior, Biology (Ecology, Evolution, Conservation) major, Environmental Studies minor

Anshika Suniti Kumar, Scholar

Junior, Environmental Studies and Economics major

Olga Kachook, Nominee

Junior, Business Administration major, Environmental Studies minor

Audrey Djunaedi, Scholar

Junior, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences and Applied Music major

Geoffrey Morgan, Scholar

Junior, Civil & Environmental Engineering and International Studies major

Cheyenne Sanders, Nominee

Junior, American Indian Studies and Political Science major

Sarah Ellison, Scholar

Junior, Environmental Studies and Political Science major

Cecilia Gobin, Scholar

Junior, American Indian Studies major, Anthropology and History minor

Geoffrey Morgan, Honorable Mention

Junior, Civil & Environmental Engineering and International Studies major

Ryan Erickson, Honorable Mention

Earth & Space Sciences major

Cecilia Gobin, Scholar

American Indian Studies major

Donna Neagle, Scholar

Nursing major

Jamie Stroble, Honorable Mention

Environmental Studies and International Studies: Development Track major

Matt Weintraub, Nominee

Emma Noyes, Scholar

Junior, Anthropology and Public Health major

Yvonne Tyler, Nominee

Biology major

Kayanna Warren, Scholar

International Studies and History major

Sheila Ann Spiker, Nominee

Abby Lundstrom, Nominee

Kayanna Warren, Scholar

International Studies and History major

Randi Adair, Nominee

Leslie McGinnis, Nominee

Megan Matthews, Scholar

English major

Allison Van, Scholar

Biology and Community & Environmental Planning (CEP), Program on the Environment major

Allison Van, Nominee

Angela Picard, Nominee

Lisa Lurie, Honorable Mention

Program on the Environment major

Markus Speidel, Scholar

Biology major

2022 – 2023 UW Scholars

• Collin Chung
• Casper Pei-Shen Suen

Collin Chung

Collin graduated from the University of Washington (UW) in June of 2021. His undergraduate studies and research experience at UW centered around the impacts of China’s rise and fraying US-China relations in contested regions, as well as areas where China has not traditionally exerted influence. Collin honed his research skills through capstone research projects on these topics, including his honors qualitative research thesis analyzing Chinese diasporic discourse on the Hong Kong protests as well as a group Task Force exercise on E.U.-China economic relations. Off campus, his study abroad experiences in Hong Kong and mainland China – along with direct exposure to U.S. foreign policymaking at the U.S. State Department as an intern – grounded his academic understanding of foreign policy in practical, first-hand experience. After graduating from UW, Collin has continued to immerse himself in US-China relations. This includes his latest position working in the Risk Management department of Expeditors International, where he worked closely with professional counterparts throughout East Asia and developed a business lens on the region.

At Peking University’s Yenching Academy, Collin hopes to examine Chinese foreign policy, primarily in northern Eurasia. The outbreak of the war in Ukraine has altered post-1991 security and economic dynamics across the post-Soviet space, and raises questions over the role of outside powers in the region. He is especially interested in studying the impacts of the war on China’s relationships with the Central Asian countries. He also hopes to familiarize himself with China’s distinctive northern culture and participate in local sports, such as joining a local dragon boat or rowing club.

Collin’s near-term and long-term goals: Upon return to the U.S. Collin will take the Foreign Service exam with the hopes of using his strengthened Chinese language skills and regional experience derived from his studies at YCA as a Foreign Service Officer. He is also interested in pursuing a PhD in International Relations to further study China’s external relations in northern Eurasia.

Collin’s tips for future applicants: Meet with the OMSFA office early in the application process so you can start organizing your thoughts! Don’t hesitate to reach out to peers and faculty for draft feedback– the more eyes looking at your application materials, the better. Be as authentic and honest as possible about your motivations for applying to the Yenching Academy.

Casper Pei-Shen Suen

Casper Suen is a senior at the University of Washington majoring in International Studies. Casper’s coursework has focused on the Asia Pacific region, with a particular emphasis on economic and security issues in East Asia. Casper was a cybersecurity research fellow at the International Policy Institute, an executive officer at the John Quincy Adams Society UW Chapter, and served as a member of the editorial board at the Jackson School Journal of International Studies. Under the supervision of Professor Clair Yang, Casper also conducted an undergraduate research project on Chinese regulatory policy in the financial technology industry.
Growing up in Beijing, Casper experienced a close proximity to Chinese issues. Witnessing firsthand its profound transformations in the early 21st century, Casper developed a strong interest in China’s policy institutions and its international relations. Having had the opportunity to develop this interest through his coursework at the UW, he now hopes to further deepen his knowledge of China at the Yenching Academy in Peking University. Casper hopes especially for the opportunity to study Chinese policymaking with faculty associated with Peking University’s National School of Development.
Casper aspires towards a career in the US Foreign Service. Through greater experience and deeper regional knowledge gained at Peking University, Casper hopes to make a positive contribution to American foreign policy and US-China relations.

Casper’s near-term and long-term goals: In the near term, I hope for the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of China alongside a diverse and international group of peers at the Yenching Academy. In the long term, I aspire to pursue a career in diplomacy, with an opportunity to apply what I have learned at UW in the context of public service.

2021 – 2022 UW Yenching Academy Scholar:

Katie Chua

Read our Q&A with Katie about Yenching Academy and her application process.

I am originally from Boulder, CO and studied English: Language & Literature and Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. During my time at UW, I served on the Board of Bookstore Trustees as a Student Trustee and on the Arts and Sciences Advisory Council for Students at the College of Arts and Sciences. Additionally, I was involved in UW Leaders and Delta Sigma Pi and studied abroad for a semester at PKU through the business school. I have worked at cafes, publishing houses, ice-cream shops, bakeries, a literary agency, a doughnut shop, a skin-care and fragrance brand, and a large retailer for consumer goods. My undergrad experience was integral to shaping my interests, both academic and personal and after graduating in 2020, I reflected intensely on what I hoped to do. For me, that meant continuing to immerse myself in the study of literature and to better understand China, not only because of its global role in everything ranging from politics to media to commerce but also because of my own family background.

With an initial fascination of Asian American literature and Victorian literature, my literary research interests eventually centered around the Chinese diaspora, work & labor, temporal realities, technology, and family. Through the Literature and Culture concentration, I plan to study Chinese speculative fiction at Yenching Academy in order to ask how China both interacts and views the future and how that shapes China’s role in our increasingly globalized and technological world. In addition to pursuing my research, I am excited to improve my Mandarin, learn more about the publishing industry in China, and continue asking questions about the past to better understand our present and imagine and work towards a more hopeful future.

Katie’s near-term and long-term goals: Ideally, I hope to enter the Education field. Whether this includes pursuing further research with a doctorate and teaching at the collegiate level or deciding to teach at the high-school level, I wish to continue being a life-long student as a future educator.

Katie’s tips for future applicants: Be thoughtful about your goals and desires and utilize the OMSFA! They are a wealth of resources and encouragement.

Brenton Riddle, Finalist

Brenton Riddle is pursuing two Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Comparative History of Ideas, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Resource Management at the University of Washington. At the intersection of these three degree programs, Brenton focuses on addressing international transboundary air and water pollution, improving the resilience of international populations in the face of climate change, and supporting the transition to renewable energy sources. He’s undertaken several projects complementing those studies including serving as an Energy and Environment Policy Intern for Pacific Northwest Economic Region, a trans-national, public-private, non profit connecting business leaders and policy makers together. While studying abroad in Rome, Italy, Brenton served as the lead researcher on energy-related critical infrastructure for the Jackson School Rome Task Force “European Defense: Strategic Choices for 2030.”

Devising solutions to combat climate change, mitigate environmental degradation, and improve community resilience are core aspects of Brenton’s professional and personal ambitions. In pursuit of those goals, Brenton aspires to see, learn, and do as much as he can in as many places as he can. This is what draws him to Yenching Academy, a place to do just that. If selected, Brenton would complete a thesis on transboundary water management and hydropower along China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Broadly, he would like to explore China’s role as an economic and technology superpower and the relationship between the country’s growth, opportunity and global partnerships with its climate change research, policy, and response. Brenton hopes his time with Yenching Academy will provide him with career-specific experience which he’ll take with him in his future endeavors.

Specifically, Brenton looks forward to supporting policy makers and other stakeholders in mitigating the effects of climate change and safeguarding the environment. He is excited about the opportunity to do this work in China through the Yenching Academy.

Brenton’s near-term and long-term goals: In the short term, Brenton plans to complete his undergraduate degrees and pursue advanced studies in a program combining his passions for the environment and international politics. Looking long term, Brenton’s goal is to work for an environmental policy think tank researching and providing recommendations on the climate crisis and worldwide environmental degradation.

Samuel Arnone-Roller

Samuel is an 18-year-old senior at the University of Washington majoring in Political Science and International Security while minoring in Middle East Studies and Near Eastern Studies. Professionally, Samuel aspires to advance the work of the UNDP in promoting the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. 

After successfully lobbying for the extension of honor roll recognition to Running Start students at Central Washington University, Samuel served as a Peer Mentor for two years before being appointed to advise on Central Washington University’s regional education policy. As a student at the University of Washington Samuel took on an undergraduate research position with the Emma B. Andrews Diary Project which works to advance the public understanding of early 20th century Egyptology.

Through prospective study at Yenching Academy, Samuel hopes to unify his aspirations through study in the Politics and International Relations track. Within this field he hopes to study the disruptions to rural land governance resulting from China’s efforts to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals specifically in Gansu province. Alternations to local and national land governance combined with modernization and the creation of sustainable agriculture pilot demonstration enterprises are of specific interest. Samuel believes that when taken as a whole, these decisions will shape the way least developed countries – especially those challenged by desertification and other climate shocks – conceptualize their development and relationship with China.

Samuel’s near-term and long-term goals: In the next years I would like to complete my graduate studies and attain an internship with the United Nations Development Programme from which I can work toward a career in development. I would also like to learn a new language.

Samuel’s tips for future applicants:

1. When you feel as if you can’t make it to the next sentence in an essay, don’t be afraid to stop. Take time for yourself and read instead; don’t endlessly pick apart your prompt or the millions of results which populate when you turn to the internet for essay tips. Read something that is engaging, something that reminds you why you push yourself so hard and to what ends.
2. Organize your applications into folders and subfolders. Not for the sake of easy access, its easy to search and sort files with a click of a button. Rather, motivate yourself with this space – going through your application space is a good reminder of just how far you’ve come.
3. Swap out your computer for a pen and paper and your neat workspace for the outdoors. Looking at a blue sky instead of the paint on your ceiling is an easy way to take some of the pressure off.

Shannon Pierson, Scholar (declined)

Senior, International Studies major

Sneha Indrajit, Scholar

2018 graduate, International Studies major

Katie-Lynn King, Finalist

2018 graduate, International Studies major

Summer Si Lo, Nominee

Senior, English (Creative Writing) major

Madelyn Reese, Nominee

2016 graduate, English Literature

Chen An Wang, Finalist

Senior, Art History

Isabelle Ayers, Nominee

Senior, Chinese Language and Literature major

Tobi Du, Scholar

Senior, Political Science major

Caleb Huffman, Scholar

Senior, Political Science and Communication majors

Read more about Caleb.

Caleb Huffman, Finalist

Senior, Political Science and Communication majors

Vincent Pham, Nominee

2014 Graduate, English major, Diversity and Education, Learning & Society (ELS) minor

Zachary Reshovsky, Scholar

2014 Graduate, International Studies major