From the 2025 Schaeffer Fellows Annual Report: Schaeffer Fellow alumni extend their commitment to public service beyond U.S. borders through international fellowships, advanced academic study and research, and global careers — applying their skills and experiences to address complex global issues. Their work spans fields including public health, diplomacy, education, and business, contributing to initiatives that strengthen communities and promote cross-cultural exchange.
Sofia Greenwald (2023)
2024 Fulbright Binational Business Fellow in Mexico City
My time with the Fulbright Program fundamentally changed my life. It reshaped my career path from law and policy to social-impact entrepreneurship, and gave me the space to explore my identity as a Mexican-American while building a new life in Mexico. It allowed me to deepen my commitment to social impact through the lens of a country I’ve loved my entire life.”
Samantha Chacko (2022)
2024 Fulbright-Nehru Scholar
As a Fulbright Scholar, Samantha Chacko spent nine months at the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India conducting interviews with litigants, analyzing policy development, and comparing legal aid frameworks in the U.S., England, and India to identify gaps in women’s access to justice. In May, Chacko presented her paper, “Equality in Access: Reviewing India’s Legal Aid Framework,” at a faculty seminar.
Karam Zein (2024)
Undergraduate Senior at University of Virginia
I had the privilege of conducting field research in Lebanon. My work focused on Lebanon’s confessional political system and the ways in which its power-sharing structure shapes both governance and reform. Over several weeks, I interviewed current and former Members of Parliament, political figures connected by family legacy, academics, and everyday citizens representing all of Lebanon’s major religious confessions.”