From the 2025 Schaeffer Fellows Annual Report: Sport has the power to unite people across cultures and continents. Schaeffer Fellow alumni are helping showcase its spirit of collaboration, inclusivity, and innovation.
By drawing on their public service experience, alumni are helping to ensure that their organizations leave a lasting positive impact on local communities and fans alike. Their work embodies the program’s mission to develop leaders who bridge sectors and advance the public good, using sport as a dynamic platform to inspire civic engagement and strengthen community connection.
Senior Manager for Strategy and Planning Department at FIFA World Cup 2026
Jalen Travis (2022)
Professional Football Player with Indianapolis Colts
Jalen Travis, a Truman Scholar and John Wooden Citizenship Cup recipient, graduated from Princeton in 2024. He went on to play football at Iowa State as a graduate transfer and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. During rookie mini camp, Jalen said this about his undergraduate government internship in the Senate:
“Football is a microcosm of society in that you have guys from every corner of the country coming together to fight for the same goal. I think Capitol Hill is that…there are people you [disagree] with, but you know at the end of the day, you still want the same thing: making this country the best it can be.”
Felix Bulwa (2021)
State and Local Affairs Associate at LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games
“I’m immensely excited to be part of the surreal task of bringing the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games to my hometown of Los Angeles. Working with local and state public sector entities to put on the biggest sporting event of all time is a special opportunity.”
Nivea Krishnan (2024) Program Coordinator for Civics Matter at Arizona Cardinals
“After working in nonprofits and local government, I’m thrilled to continue serving my home state with an organization steadfastly committed to youth engagement, empowerment, and civic participation.”