During the 2025-26 academic year, Claremont McKenna College students and recent alumni earned opportunities to deepen their studies by winning prestigious awards, including a Rhodes Scholarship, a pair of Fulbright grants, and a CMC-record-breaking trio of Goldwater honors.
In addition, Physics-Economics major Ethan Ha ’28 has earned a Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship from the Department of War—the first for a CMC student since the award’s inception in 2005.
“All of these honors are nationally or internationally competitive, and it’s no surprise to me that CMC students are recognized for their academic prowess, leadership abilities, cross-cultural skills, and devotion to others,” said Brian Davidson ’08, Director of Fellowships Advising. “I am continually inspired by everything that CMC students achieve.”
The following is a list of student scholarships, fellowships, and awards spanning 2025-26:
Beinecke Scholarship
“…for the graduate education of young people of exceptional promise.”
- Shiraz Smith ’27, CMC’s fourth Beinecke Scholar, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in African American Studies/Sociology.
Boren Awards
Study abroad funding for languages relevant to national security, an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO)
- Kylie Ha ’26 (Arabic)
- Andrew Rizko ’26 (Arabic)
California Capital Fellows Program
Year-long placement in California state government
- Rachel Supnick ’26 (Executive Fellow, CalEPA)
Critical Language Scholars
Immersive summer language program through the U.S. State Department
- Chloe Gudas ’28 (Arabic)
- Christopher Kirch ’28 (Korean)
Department of War SMART Scholarship
A program for STEM majors, which places them in defense-related summer research internships
- Ethan Ha ’28
Fulbright English Teaching Awards
Places grantees in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction
- Luc Fabing ’26 (Spain)
- Alexandra Perez Pleitez ’26 (South Korea)
Barry Goldwater Scholarships
For undergraduate students pursuing STEM degrees and planning a career in research
- Chisato Kamakura ’27 (Neuroscience)
- Marilyn Ma ’27 (Computer Science)
- Daniel Wu ’27 (Psychology)
Humanities at Hertog Fellows
Humanities program studying literature, philosophy, and political thought
- Dhriti Jagadish ’27 (Spring 2026)
- Henry Long ’25 (Winter 2026)
- Shivom Parihar ’28 (Fall 2025)
Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
A 5C fellowship for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in humanities/social sciences
- Shiraz Smith ’27
- Crystal Widado ’27
Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service
A two-year leadership development program for juniors
- Annabel Chung ’27, the fourth consecutive CMC student to earn this prestigious award, plans to focus on how diplomacy can support refugee resettlement.
Phi Beta Kappa Society scholarship
For arts, humanities, natural science, social science, and mathematics majors to pursue rewarding careers in local, state, and federal government
- Shay Doshi ’27, an International Relations and Public Policy major with a Legal Studies Sequence, will conduct research evaluating community-led alternatives to development in the Global South.
Projects for Peace
Grants for a significant summer community development project
- Tanzila Jamal ’26 (United Kingdom)
- Roystone Varuma ’28 (Zimbabwe)
Rhodes Scholarship
Postgraduate scholarship at Oxford University
- Samuel N. Johnson-Saeger ’26, the third CMC senior in five years to earn this award, plans to pursue an M.Sc. in Economics for Development and an M.Sc. in Global Governance and Diplomacy at Oxford.