Since 1985, Sewanee has launched 33 Watson Fellows into their year of world wanderings. Illustration by Amanda Warren
Graduates discover the world, and themselves, through the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
SINCE 1985, Sewanee has been on the select list of colleges whose graduating seniors are eligible to apply for a most interesting post-graduate program: the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
This program provides one year of funding for college graduates to travel outside of the United States and pursue a project entirely of their own devising, outside of the formal academic context.
Sewanee students have historically been successful competitors for this prized award — 33 have been selected as Watson Fellows, from Arnie Frishman and Michele Bambling in 1985 to Kate Cummings in 2004.
We’d like to give you a taste of some of the Sewanee Watson Fellows’ experiences as they’ve traveled through approximately 50 countries pursuing projects focused on everything from ayurvedic medicine to the sociology of swim clubs.
A few years ago, Larry Jones, associate dean of the college, contacted all of the fellows and asked them to answer a few questions about their Watson Fellowship year and how it has affected their lives. As I read through those stories and reflections, a composite picture started to emerge. Although each one of these 33 people is treading his or her own unique path, they all are people who have discovered who they are, what they want to be about, and where they are headed. They have an understanding of themselves as spiritual beings. They have had experiences that have cut them to the quick. They have been humbled by life. They have stories to tell. Yet, they also appreciate others’ stories. They know how to listen. They understand that each human being, and each culture, has a unique and legitimate perspective, and that opening yourself to it will immeasurably enrich and change you. — Laura Barlament
Read about the Sewanee Watson Fellows.
Learn more about the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
