GW recently announced the 2024-2026 Presidential Fellowship Cohort. This year, two of the three fellows are GSEHD students! Congratulations to doctoral student Nina Balandina (Comparative and International Education) and master's student Markella Lanara (Mental Health Counseling). This is a highly prestigious award given to a small and selective group of GW students. In addition to full tuition coverage for two years, recipients receive a total of $35,000 in stipend and salary payments each academic year of the program.
Founded in 1989, the Presidential Fellowship program requires a two-year commitment and fellows contribute to the advancement of the GW community by serving as ambassadors through their academic, professional, and personal involvement. Fellows serve in offices throughout the university that often complement their graduate degree or professional goals.
Learn more about Nina below, and read Markella's story here.
Nina Balandina, alumna of GW's Master's in International Education program, is pursuing a doctoral degree in GSEHD's PhD in Education: Comparative and International Education Concentration.
“I was so happy when I found out I was chosen for the program. I was crying because I couldn't believe it,” Balandina said. “I know the fellowship is extremely competitive. During my interview, I spoke about my research and career goals so now I feel like the committee believed in me and my dreams. I feel so much more confident that I can be a person who makes change in the world.”
Balandina will gain hands-on experience working in the Office for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and the International Services Office.
“It’s the perfect place for me because it relates to what I’m studying, and I’ll be able to apply my research and what I learn into practice,” she said.
She said the Presidential Fellows program exemplifies what makes the GW community so special, adding that she has always found supportive and friendly faces on campus.
Balandina, who is from Russia, said as an international student, this aspect of GW’s culture helped her feel more at home.
“I never felt like a stranger on campus,” Balandina said. “I love how inclusive GW is, how it appreciates all students, their backgrounds, their unique cultural features. I love how GW tries to help students improve and find bright futures.”