Garrett-Sherwood Scholars

“Being a Garrett Sherwood Scholar means having the privilege of being able to fully commit myself to leaving Whitman better than I left it. With this generous scholarship I'm able to fully immerse myself in everything Whitman has to offer without the stress of figuring out how to pay back loans.”

Activities and leadership roles on campus:

• Poetry & Outreach staff for blue moon literary magazine
• Parliamentary Debater
• DEI Committee Senator (awarded senator of the year for 2024-2025 school year)

Internships, research opportunities, and academic highlights:

• Summer 2025 legal internship in Dallas, Texas funded by the Whitman Internship Grant
• Economics & Politics double major with hopes of becoming a labor lawyer focused on policies that impact the working class

Off campus activities:

• Debate camp curriculum developer and co-director 
  

“Receiving the Garrett-Sherwood scholarship eased a heavy financial burden and the additional support ultimately opened the door for me to attend Whitman, where exposure to incredibly dedicated professors and a tight-knit, passionate community of students constantly challenges me and my peers to grow as we explore Whitman and contribute to a culture of resilience and justice.”

Activities and leadership roles on campus:

• Educating and mobilizing students through events, advocacy, and club meetings to protect sexual health and rights as Co-President of Whitman’s Planned Parenthood chapter
  
• Serving as ASWC Chair of Student Development, working with a team of Senators to represent, aid, and affiliate 35+ clubs on campus
  
• Spearheading and editing weekly feature issues as the Whitman Wire’s Feature Editor
  
• Member of the (Latine) Unidos and FGWC affinity groups
  
• Reshaping Whitman’s legal scene as Co-Founder of Whitman’s Pre-Law Society

Internships, research opportunities, and academic highlights:

• Worked with a team of students and a professor to research/craft the Mexican Philosophy (PHIL 204) course

Off campus activities:

• Working alongside attorneys to provide free representation to the Bay Area's unhoused and disabled communities as a Legal intern at the Homeless Action Center.

“Being a Garrett Sherwood Scholar at Whitman means I get to network with a strong group of students who are like minded while having access to professional development opportunities. I personally enjoyed learning about the prestigious Watson Fellowships.”

Activities and leadership roles on campus:

• Program Director of the Power and Privillege Symposium
• President of Whitman Votes
• Strategic Program Director of Black Student Union

Internships, research opportunities, and academic highlights:

• Studying politics and physics (pre-engineering) through Whitman's 3-2 engineering program which allows me to balance my passion for environmental engineering and political advocacy

Off campus activities:

• Providing input impacting nearly 90,0000 students as an Intern at the Fulton Schools Board of Education.
• Currently working on a start-up that ventures into engineering, sustainable packaging, and environmental action.
• College Dems of America National Chairman of the Black Caucus and National Political Affairs Deputy Director, serving over 100,000 students across the U.S.
• Founder of Protect Our Block, a national nonprofit with chapters in 30 states that brings together hundreds of marginalized youth to connect with former senior officials at the White House and elected officials.
• First paid campaign work in Spring 2025 for Gustavo Reyna, City Councillor in Walla Walla

“Being a Garrett Sherwood Scholar at Whitman has connected me with other students who share similar hopes and leadership aspirations, as well as provided me with additional support for career and fellowship opportunities.”

Activities and leadership roles on campus:

• Ultimate frisbee
• Climate Justice Coalition
• Trip leader for the Outdoor Program
• Member of the (Latine) Unidos and FGWC affinity groups

Internships, research opportunities, and academic highlights:

• Semester in the West (Fall 2025)
• Thomas J. Watson Memorial Scholar

Off campus activities:

• A Summer 2025 Program Supervisor for Amigos de las Americas, leading high school programs centered around environmental protection and cultural immersion in Costa Rica

“The Garrett-Sherwood program has helped me feel more engaged and confident in my place at Whitman, providing a source of drive and generating more responsibility for me during my time in Walla Walla.”

Activities and leadership roles on campus:

• Captain on the Cross Country and Distance Track Teams
• Salmon Conservation Club
• Ethics Bowl Team

Internships, research opportunities, and academic highlights:

• As a double major in Biology and Philosophy, spend Summer 2025 in Juneau, Alaska doing sockeye salmon genetic research at NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science center to help understand the genetic determinants of run timing that helps individuals in wild populations return to spawn at the same time. 

Off campus activities:

• Writing an article about the lessons we can learn from a phenomenological perspective of the use of addictive social media by young people with the yielding of our consciousnesses to systems outside ourselves.