Pamela Bryan and Jawara McDuffie, MSW students in the School of Social Work, were recently awarded 2014 Bonderman Travel Fellowships. These fellowships enable students to undertake extensive, independent, international travel which allows them to explore the world in new ways. Each awardee receives $20,000 and in return agrees to travel for at least eight months, visiting a minimum of two continents and six countries.
Pamela Bryan, an MSW student from Shiprock, N.M., plans to travel to South America, Asia and Australia. Among her goals is to develop more self-awareness, learning how to “interact with people from other cultures so I can become more effective in my work toward social justice and creating positive change.”
Jawara McDuffie, from Winston-Salem, N.C., graduates in June with an MSW degree. McDuffie will begin his travels in Vietnam and Laos, “developing ways to train the mind and body to live more in the moment, be more non-judgmental and cultivate a greater appreciation of the world.” Future excursions will take him to Africa, South America and the Caribbean where he intends to explore regional music, dance, art and food.
A third MSW student enrolled at UW Tacoma, Nick Rogen, also received a 2014 Bonderman Fellowship.
About The Bonderman Travel Fellowships: David Bonderman, who earned his undergraduate degree in Russian in 1963 from the University of Washington, created the fellowship program. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he received a Sheldon Fellowship that allowed him to travel internationally, an experience that had a profound impact on his life. The Bonderman Travel Fellowships support UW students in having a similarly transformative experience. The UW Graduate School and the University Honors Program administer the program.