Featured Recipients

School of Study: College of Arts & Sciences

Program of Study: BA in Archaeology

“I was excited to apply to Boren because it felt like the perfect combination of my interests. I knew that I wanted to work in public service even before I had heard of the program, and I love learning languages because of the new perspectives a language opens up.

I studied Hindi through Boren’s South Asian Flagship Language Initiative (SAFLI). SAFLI is a two-part program, with the summer spent studying Hindi at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the fall spent living in Jaipur, India with a host family and taking classes at the American Institute of Indian Studies.

Because Boren is a longer term program it lets you become a part of the neighborhood you are living and studying in. These everyday experiences were the highlights for me. As much as I loved my travels outside of Jaipur, including to Kolkata during Durga Puja, the desert city of Jaisalmer, and Delhi, my experience living in Jaipur was unique.”

School of Study: College of Communication

Program of Study: BS in Journalism

Journalism has been at the heart of Sophia Falbo’s BU experience. She jumped into BUTV and the Boston University News Service (BUNS) early on and has climbed the ranks through hard work and dedication. Today, she’s a campus leader: Co-Executive Producer and Co-Anchor for BU’s only live, 30-minute news program, “Good Morning BU,” Anchor for BUTV’s “The Wire,” Editor-in-Chief for BUNS, and former Co-Executive Producer for BUTV’s coverage of the 2024 election special, “United We Vote.” Inspired by the community of former Case Scholars, she applied for the prestigious Case Scholarship during her junior year – and got it.

What’s next for Sophia? “Post-graduation, I’m really looking forward to joining an incredible network of BU alumni and giving back to current terriers just like so many of my alumni mentors have already done for me. I’m hoping to become an on-air news reporter, focusing my early years in a small city and highlighting their community-based stories. Eventually, I’d love to work my way up to bigger-sized cities and ultimately become a morning news show anchor for a nationally broadcasted station in New York City!”

Her advice to students curious about the Case Scholarship is: “Don’t be shy about putting yourself out there and submitting an application that you are proud of, rather than comparing yourself to the potential other applicants. Believe in who you are and what you’ve achieved because this is only the beginning!”

School of Study: College of Arts and Sciences and Pardee School of Global Studies

Program of Study: Economics and International Relations

Ankit Patro’s passion for international relations and for BU is evident through the many opportunities he has pursued and accomplishments under his belt. The summer after his first year at BU, Ankit studied in Australia while working on a project on European Security with professor Kaija Schilde, from the Pardee School of Global Studies. This assistantship was extended through the next year and ultimately allowed Ankit to co-author a paper with Schilde. Ankit was also a research assistant at the Global Development Policy Center and his research on climate finance led to another co-authorship opportunity. Patro’s love for BU is a major source of motivation. As a way of giving back to the BU community, he has engaged himself in a number of leadership positions. He represented BU at the Fed Challenge where he got the opportunity to meet Fed Chair Jerome Powell. He’s the volunteer coordinator for the Students for the UN, Head of Podcast for the Politica, recipient of the Leadership Brainery Ambassador Fellowship, and of Climate Campus Lab funding for a project titled “Transforming Cummington Mall: A Walkable, Climate-Friendly Future.”. He even represented BU at the Fed Challenge.

What’s Next for Ankit? “Post-graduation, I plan to pursue a PhD in economics with a focus on international macroeconomics. To build practical experience and a deeper understanding of the field, I will be working as a Research Associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis starting in July 2025.”

His advice to students curious about the Case Scholarship is: “Be yourself! Don’t be afraid to showcase your growth and highlight the experiences that shaped you over the past three years. Authenticity goes a long way in making your application stand out.”

School of Study: College of Arts and Sciences 

Program of Study: Chinese Language & Lit, Japanese Language & Lit, Ling & Speech, Lang Hearing BA 

Samantha Makishima studied for eight weeks in Okayama Japan through a Critical Language Scholarship. She appreciated the experience of full cultural and language immersion, which included staying with local roommates and taking field trips to local areas that focused on the host community. Not only did Samantha become fast friends with students in her cohort, but she has also found a greater community within the CLS alumni network.   

What’s next for Samantha? “Most importantly, it [the CLS program] helped improve my Japanese skills which I hope to use in my future career as a bilingual English-Japanese speech language pathologist.”  

 Any tips for future applicants? “I think that strongly connecting the target language to both your personal and professional goals in your application is key but also don’t be discouraged if you don’t manage to become a finalist and if you’re able, always try again next year.”  

School of Study: Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Program of Study: PhD in Biological Anthropology

“I am using my Fulbright grant to fund a large portion of my PhD dissertation research. Specifically, I am studying the gut microbiome of wild Bornean orangutans who live in Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

I am most passionate about making science accessible to people of all walks of life. This year, that means that a huge portion of my time has been spent building a genetics lab in the middle of a rainforest. This lab was built first out of necessity, as it was needed to accomplish the work. However, it serves the secondary role of providing a location for Indonesian students to learn, and Indonesian researchers to conduct genetics studies. Recently, an Indonesian student arrived at camp to work alongside me as an assistant on my project. Having the opportunity to teach her tangible laboratory skills has been so rewarding and I hope that whatever my future career is, it has teaching and/or communicating science as a large component.”

School of Study: College of Arts & Sciences, The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

Program of Study: BA in Biology & International Relations, History & Interdisciplinary Studies minor

“My original proposal during my application to what I am pursuing now is slightly different. While I still focus on plastic pollution in the environment, I went from my previous proposal of plastic pollution in Italy’s National Parks to researching how plastic pollution may affect truffles! Most of my work is done in a wet lab setting. I work with soil microcosm experiments, mycelium growth, and a range of other microbiological techniques. I work between the chemistry and biology departments at the Università degli Studi di Firenze.

I am fortunate enough to live in Florence, but also have visited over fifty other cities across the country thanks to their amazing rail system! I also was selected to represent the Italy Fulbright Commission and attend the EU-US Young Leaders Seminar held in Brussels, Belgium this year and meet a variety of leaders and professionals.”

School of Study: Wheelock College of Education & Human Development

Program of Study: M.Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching, Secondary Social Studies Education

“I am using my Fulbright grant to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at two high schools in Antananarivo. I am also teaching English Literature and Entrepreneurship at the American Corner Antananarivo and collaborating with the Lafayette Initiative for Malagasy Education (LIME), a college-prep program for Malagasy public-school students.

My LIME students were able to publish an anthology of short stories, essays, and poems in English. This book will be used to cover application and test fees for Malagasy public-school students as they apply to post-secondary programs around the world. If we sell enough copies, we also plan to start a system of student loans for Malagasy students to attend local colleges and universities at higher rates (as of now, only about 2% of Malagasy people have university degrees, mostly due to economic hardship).

Next year, I will start a Ph.D. in Education Policy at UPENN, but I plan to stay involved in LIME, the Entrepreneurship Club, Vita Gasy Products, and other local initiatives. I am so grateful for the chance to work with incredible Malagasy teachers and students, and I hope to continue supporting education programs in Madagascar in my future career.”

School of Study: College of Arts and Sciences

Program of Study: Biology/Behavioral Biology

Sofia Weaver is an aspiring primatologist with a special interest in the endangered Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkey endemic to Perú. She applied for the Goldwater scholarship with the goal of becoming part of a community of like-minded scientists. Since transferring to BU from Lehigh University, Sofia has worked closely with Dr. Schmitt, associate professor of anthropology and biology, and conducted independent research in his Sensory Morphology and Anthropological Genomics Lab. She has presented her work at conferences and research symposiums including the Northeastern Evolutionary Primatologists Meeting, the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, the BU Genome Sciences Institute, and the BU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Beyond her involvement in on-campus research, Sofia was accepted as a research assistant in the Field Projects International Primate Behavioral Program where she conducted research for six weeks at the Los Amigos Biological Station in Perú. While at the research station, she also gave talks to local students about her research and the necessity for conserving Woolly Monkeys and their habitat.

What’s next for Sofia? “I look forward to traveling more post-graduation.”

Any Tips for Future applicants? “Start your application early and talk to Jeff Berg, BU’s Director of National and International Scholarships, throughout the application process. He’s a resource not to be overlooked!”

School of Study: Pardee School of Global Studies

Program of Study: MA in Global Policy

Amaris hails from Loyola University of Maryland with a keen interest in environmental and social justice. Her environmental studies during undergrad led her to conduct climate research in the polar regions of Scandinavia. However, she is incredibly passionate about creating a socially equitable and environmentally sound future for underrepresented and marginalized communities, across the world. Amaris has conducted policy work around forced global migration and displacement with organizations in the Baltimore region and is looking forward to expanding her activism work, particularly with refugee populations seeking asylum.

School of Study: College of Engineering

Program of Study: Late Entry Accelerated Program (LEAP)

Emma is entering into BU’s LEAP program and graduated from American University in Washington D.C. with a Public Health degree. Driven by her personal experiences with health disparities caused by a lack of access to healthy and fresh food items in her community, she was able to implement the use of vertical farms as a sustainable solution to her community’s longstanding issues with food access. Emma hopes to continue her work in solving these longstanding public health community issues through engineering and innovation.

School of Study: Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Program of Study: PhD in Sociology

Halle-Marie Armstrong (she/her) is a native of Boston, Massachusetts.  She is a proud graduate of Spelman College (Class of 2024), where she earned a B.A. in Sociology (summa cum laude) with a minor in Public Health.  During her undergraduate career, Halle’s commitment to advocacy is evident through her leadership as a RISE Scholar, Spelman Social Justice Fellow, and UNCF/Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow.  She led and contributed to necessary research that examines the social construction and intersection of identities and their implications for health behaviors, psychosocial well-being, and cultural differences.  As a scholar-activist, Halle is passionate about research, policy, and community programming that prioritizes the advancement of Black women, families, and incarcerated populations, with a particular interest in reproductive justice and health outcomes.

School of Study: Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Program of Study: MFA in Playwriting

Isabelle is passionate about increasing access in education, particularly for those who come from low-income backgrounds. Utilizing her passion for storytelling, Isabelle’s work as playwright has centered on the stories of the real struggles that people face in this world. Through the power of storytelling, she hopes to continue spreading awareness and promoting social justice through her work.