By Alexa Gromko
Colorado College senior Maddi Schink has been selected to be part of the 55th class of Thomas J. Watson Fellows.
The Watson Fellowship provides fellows with the opportunity to test their aspirations and abilities through a personal project experienced on an international scale. They are nominated by 41 college and university partners across the United States.
Schink’s project will focus on how climate change and mental health interact with each other, specifically investigating how climatic events impact the psychological and emotional well-being of affected communities. She will travel to Argentina, Kenya, Thailand, and Estonia to conduct her research.
“Each country was selected for a different reason, whether it was the types of climate change impacts they have faced or geographic and cultural elements,” says Schink. “I wanted to seek out diverse perspectives during my Watson year and these are all places I have never been before.”
Fellows receive $40,000 for 12 months of travel and college loan assistance as needed. Following the year, they join a community of peers who provide a lifetime of support and inspiration.
Schink has also won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to Colombia, which she will also pursue in addition to her Watson Fellowship program.