Celebrating IS Major Award Winners
Tony Jing, Tommy Thompson Leadership Scholarship, 2025
Tony Jing, a University of Wisconsin–Madison student from Indianapolis, Indiana has been named the campus winner of the Tommy G. Thompson Leadership Scholarship in the 2025 cycle. Majoring in Political Science, International Studies, and History with a concentration on East Asia and Eastern Europe, he has worked as the President for Chinese Language & Culture Club for two years, serving the Mandarin-learning community of Madison and providing support for students at our university. Furthermore, he has founded and served as the President for Contemporary International Relations Association, providing research and dialogue opportunities on foreign policy to students across various majors, including International Studies. He has also led the Wisconsin International Studies Major Association (WISMA) as one of the Events & Communications Lead, and worked as International Studies’ Peer Advisor. With his passion in global affairs and cross-partisan dialogue, Tony plans to further his work and research on Russia and China while contributing to the broader geopolitical understanding in American Foreign Policy through public service and leadership.
Hailey Shevitz, Richard Ralph Winter Phoenix Rising Humanitarianism Scholarship, 2025
Hailey Shevitz, a University of Wisconsin–Madison student and 2025 recipient of the Richard Ralph Winter Phoenix Rising Humanitarian Scholarship, is dedicated to humanitarian work grounded in curiosity, justice, and service. Majoring in international studies with certificates in French, leadership, and global culture, she has shaped an academic path focused on understanding how aid and justice vary across contexts. Her experiences—teaching English in Morocco, coordinating literacy efforts in Costa Rica, and raising over $75,000 through mental health advocacy—reflect her belief that humanitarianism means learning from others and stepping outside one’s comfort zone to create meaningful change. Committed to addressing historical inequities through research and dialogue, Shevitz plans to work with immigrants or refugees, continuing her mission to support others while encouraging those who follow to do the same.
Cat Carroll, Wolff Fellowship, 2025
As she prepares to graduate from UW–Madison, Cat Carroll has been named the 2025–2026 College of Letters & Science Wolff Fellow and will spend a year traveling across seven countries to study global migration and the role of journalism in documenting its impacts. Majoring in journalism, international studies, and German, with multiple certificates, Carroll designed an itinerary that follows historical and modern migration routes, beginning at the U.S.–Mexico border and continuing through Costa Rica, Spain, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, and Germany. Along the way, she will work with communities, refugees, and journalists—teaching storytelling, studying language and media, and documenting lived experiences—to better understand how migration shapes lives across regions. Through this immersive project, Carroll aims to challenge her assumptions, build meaningful connections, and share powerful human stories while preparing for a career at the intersection of global migration and journalism.
Olivia Ligman, Richard Ralph Winter Phoenix Rising Humanitarian Scholarship, 2023
Olivia Ligman, of Amherst in Portage County, Wisconsin, received the 2023 Richard Ralph Winter Phoenix Rising Humanitarian Scholarship from UW–Madison’s College of Letters & Science in recognition of her extensive campus and community service and commitment to social justice. As an advocate with the Student Workers’ Rights Committee, she has supported labor rights for student workers and plans to continue organizing for marginalized communities, including children, Black women, and incarcerated workers, through education and activism. Ligman has held leadership and service roles across campus and beyond, including directing the Wisconsin Union Directorate Global Connections Committee, editing the Journal of Undergraduate International Studies, participating in the Harvard Kennedy School Public Policy Leadership Conference, tutoring locally, and mentoring low-income high school students through Matriculate. She expects to graduate in Spring 2024 with majors in African Cultural Studies and International Studies, along with multiple certificates, and aims to pursue a career as a community educator, organizer, and librarian focused on labor history and equitable access to knowledge.
Kamika Patel, BVO Scholarship Award Winner to study at Lund University in Sweden and Oslo Norway
Congratulations to Kamika Patel, an International Studies (Global Security) major, who was selected as a study abroad scholarship recipient from the Brittingham Viking Organization (BVO). She will study at Lund University in Sweden in Spring 2023 and the University of Oslo in Norway in Summer 2023 as part of a prestigious program that selects one scholar each for Finland, Sweden, and Denmark based on academic achievement and program fit, culminating in a joint experience at the International Summer School in Oslo. The scholarship, valued at up to $25,000, covers major expenses including tuition, housing, travel, and a stipend, while also offering cohort travel across Scandinavia to engage with alumni and cultural traditions. Kamika is especially excited to explore Northern Europe, engage in comparative studies, experience diverse landscapes and cities, and connect with decades of Viking alumni throughout the program.
Claire James, Wolff Fellowship, 2022
The College of Letters & Science’s Wolff Fellowship provides $45,000 to an L&S senior “to pursue their passions without limits,” as described by donors Paul Martin Wolff ’63 and Rhea S. Schwartz. The fellowship emphasizes both academic accomplishment and community service. “When we set out to create this opportunity, we knew there were students with incredible talents and a desire for service that we could support,” said Paul Wolff, a UW–Madison history graduate. “Claire James is clearly an exceptional graduate who we are proud to champion as she pursues these worthy efforts.”
This summer, James will work on English language programming in Nagasaki, Japan, and then move to Seoul, South Korea to teach English to high-school students planning to study at U.S. colleges. This builds on her experiences volunteering with Madison’s Open Doors for Refugees, where she has helped English-language learners at Madison College practice conversation.
Lydia Nyachieo, Marshall Scholarship, 2021
Established in 1953, the Marshall Scholarship Program gives high achieving U.S. students the opportunity to study at the graduate level at any university in the United Kingdom. The program was created to honor the ideals of the Marshall Plan and to foster appreciation of the U.K. among future U.S. leaders. Up to 50 scholarships are awarded each year; there are 41 winners in the 2022 class of Marshall Scholars. “Marshall Scholars are considered among the top undergraduate university students in the United States,” says Provost Karl Scholz. “The competition is intense and the selection process long and rigorous. This is a tremendous honor for Lydia, and we’re thrilled as a university to be playing a role in her education and in helping to launch what will surely be an impressive career.”
Daniel Ledin, Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program Officer
The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program provides undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of career opportunities in international affairs and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers. During the fully funded six-week intensive program, scholars will participate in a variety of programs with leading foreign affairs professionals and will attend virtual events at diverse locations around Washington, DC, including the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Congress.
Daniel Ledin is a junior majoring in Political Science and International Studies and is the first UW–Madison student ever selected for the program. Daniel, who hopes to one day work for the U.S. Department of State, specifically the U.S. Foreign Service, says he “pursued the Rangel program because I knew it would grant me unparalleled professional development and career exposure. I look forward to interacting with various think tanks, government agencies and NGOs to learn about the different opportunities available in the international affairs sector. In addition, I am excited to immerse myself in a cohort of passionate students from across the nation.
Tierney Hall, Tommy Thompson Leadership Scholarship, 2020
The Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership offers scholarships to undergraduate students at each of the University of Wisconsin System’s four-year campuses. Scholarships are intended for undergraduates who have shown public leadership in their lives in a way that reflects the general legacy of Governor Tommy G. Thompson. Governor Thompson was a broad thinker who offered common sense solutions to tackle big problems through teamwork and an unending zeal to make our state a better place. We seek high quality applicants who reflect Tommy’s spirit, have demonstrated leadership during their time in college, and will continue to lead in the future.
Alondra Avitia, Louise Troxell Award, 2020
Four L&S students will receive the Louise Troxell Award, recognizing extraordinary junior and senior women whose qualifications include exceptional intellectual ability, curiosity, citizenry and engagement in society. Alondra Avitia—Political Science/International Studies, with certificates in European Studies and Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies