Meet Our 37th Cohort of the CBYX for Young Professionals Program
It is our pleasure to announce the newest cohort of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program!
Seventy-five young professionals from the United States chosen from 450 applicants will begin a program of intensive language studies, homestay, internship and university study in Germany starting January 2021. We will also provide our Fellows with online language instruction through the Goethe-Institut prior to departure for Germany.
CBYX normally runs for 11 months but has been shortened for this cohort. We are especially proud of the resilience and flexibility of our selected Fellows to accept the current program modifications.
The 2020-2021 cohort was chosen from excellent candidates in 27 states and 2 U.S. territories. This year, the most scholarship recipients hail from the states of California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. Participant career goals include bioinformatics, event management, urban planning, accounting, computer engineering, and furniture design.
Celebrating its 37th anniversary as a joint program of the German Bundestag and U.S. Congress, the CBYX for Young Professionals program provides 75 American and 75 German young leaders the opportunity to spend up to a year in each other’s countries studying, interning, and living with host families. The fellowship is open to candidates in all career fields between the ages of 18 and 24 who are interested in a year of academic, professional, and cultural exchange. CBYX also offers opportunities for high school students and individuals interested in vocational training.
Cultural Vistas administers the CBYX for Young Professionals program through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. For additional information about CBYX please visit cbyx.info.
If you have any questions about our cohort or the CBYX for Young Professionals program, please contact Rachael Agnello, the CBYX Program Officer, at 212-497-3555 or ragnello@culturalvistas.org.
Our cohort at a glance:
55.4% of Fellows come from public universities
51.4% of Fellows are humanities majors
40.5% of Fellows are STEM majors
12.2% of Fellows are in the trades or are business majors
55.4% of Fellows identify as female
44.6% of Fellows identify as male
14 educational institutions have more than one student or alum represented in the cohort
Meet our 37th Cohort below.
Alabama
Alexander Allan
Most Recent Educational Institution: Auburn University
Area of Study: Economics
Professional Field: Economics
Alex Allan recently graduated from Auburn University with a BS in economics and a minor in German. He intends to pursue an internship for a German firm and work on improving his German fluency. In the future he hopes to work in international business.
Benjamin Patty
Most Recent Educational Institution: Auburn University
Area of Study: Supply Chain Management
Professional Field: Supply Chain & Logistics
American Samoa
Malaetele Lefiti
Most Recent Educational Institution: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Area of Study: Biology
Professional Field: Public Health
Arizona
Michelle Ailport
Most Recent Educational Institution: Arizona State University
Area of Study: Journalism and Mass Communication
Professional Field: Journalism and Mass Communication
Nicholas Tran
Most Recent Educational Institution: Prima Community College
Area of Study: Political Science
Professional Field: Political Economy and Business
California
Audrey Booth
Most Recent Educational Institution: American River College
Area of Study: English Communications and Literature
Professional Field: Acting and Film Production
Jessica Chen
Most Recent Educational Institution: Duke University
Area of Study: Art History and Public Policy
Professional Field: Arts
Amanda Chow
Most Recent Educational Institution: Brown University
Area of Study: Applied Mathematics and Economics
Professional Field: Economics
Maya Marrero English
Most Recent Educational Institution: Oberlin College
Area of Study: Economics
Professional Field: International Finance and Development
Shannon Pierson
Most Recent Educational Institution: University of Washington
Area of Study: International Studies
Professional Field: Think Tanks
Samuel Shain
Most Recent Educational Institution: NC State University
Area of Study: International Studies and Global Sustainability
Professional Field: Entrepreneurship, Stewardship, and Strategic Partnerships
Sophia Silane
Most Recent Educational Institution: Pitzer College
Area of Study: Studio Arts and Art History
Professional Field: Arts
Katherine Van Kirk
Most Recent Educational Institution: Palomar College
Area of Study: Biology and Computer Science
Professional Field: Bioinformatics
Connecticut
Patrick Kornegay
Most Recent Educational Institution: University of Connecticut
Area of Study: Political Science
Professional Field: Public Policy
Elizabeth Warner
Most Recent Education Institution: The University of Texas at Austin
Area of Study: Political Science
Professional Field: Public Policy and International Relations
Florida
Jamauri Bryan
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Florida
Area of Study: Family, Youth, & Community Sciences
Professional Field: Student Services
Gillian Daley
Most Recent Education Institution: Florida International University
Area of Study: International Relations
Professional Field: Transatlantic think tank
Parmiss Khosravi
Most Recent Education Institution: Georgia Tech
Area of Study: Materials Science & Engineering
Professional Field: Materials Science & Engineering
Abigail Megginson
Most Recent Education Institution: University of West Florida
Area of Study: Journalism and Political Science
Professional Field: Political Science Journalism
Georgia
Irene Cho
Most Recent Education Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Area of Study: Mechanical Engineering
Professional Field: Automotive Industry
Colin Murphy
Most Recent Education Institution: Tufts University
Area of Study: Computer Science and German Studies
Professional Field: Cybersecurity and Information Technology
Daniela Ruiz
Most Recent Education Institution: Northwestern University
Area of Study: Chemical and Biological Engineering
Professional Field: Biotechnology and Public Health
Kaiwen Wang
Most Recent Education Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Area of Study: Mechanical Engineering
Professional Field: Mechanical Engineering
Illinois
Zane Creek
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign
Area of Study: Business Studies
Professional Field: Business in Music
Anastasia Kallish
Most Recent Education Institution: College of DuPage
Area of Study: International Relations
Professional Field: International Relations
Indiana
Hannah Benchik
Most Recent Education Institution: Saint Mary’s College
Area of Study: Business Administration
Professional Field: International Business
Kansas
Gabriel Dorsey
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Kansas
Area of Study: Political Science
Professional Field: Government and Public Administration
Natalie Miller
Most Recent Education Institution: Fort Hays State University
Area of Study: Political Science
Professional Field: Political Science
Kentucky
Shelby Browning
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Kentucky
Area of Study: Chemical Engineering
Professional Field: Sustainable and Environmental Engineering
Maryland
Trevonn Gyles
Most Recent Education Institution: Morehouse College
Area of Study: Biology
Professional Field: Neuroscience
Hannah Lane
Most Recent Education Institution: Goucher College
Area of Study: History
Professional Field: Academic Library
Massachusetts
Jesse Girrell
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Area of Study: Psychology
Professional Field: Education
Michigan
Ruth Selipsky
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Chicago
Area of Study: Political Science
Professional Field: Politics, Journalism or Marketing
Minnesota
Luke Westawke
Most Recent Education Institution: Carleton College
Area of Study: Chemistry and German
Professional Field: Chemical Research
Missouri
Melody Hollar
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Montana
Area of Study: Ecosystem Sciences and Restoration
Professional Field: Sustainable Public Policy
Montana
Jason Koehn
Most Recent Education Institution: American University
Area of Study: International Relations
Professional Field: International Development
Nebraska
Gerald Fraas
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Alabama
Area of Study: Political Science
Professional Field: Consulting
Patrick Hodson
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Nebrasks at Omaha
Area of Study: Business Administration
Professional Field: Accounting
Kathy Nguyen
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Area of Study: Communications
Professional Field: Marketing
Corinne Peterson
Most Recent Education Institution: Nebraska Wesleyan University
Area of Study: Modern Language Studies and Psychology
Professional Field: Cultural Affairs
Michael Thompson
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Area of Study: Sustainability
Professional Field: Sustainability
New Jersey
Rachel Rizzo
Most Recent Education Institution: University of South Carolina
Area of Study: Mechanical Engineering
Professional Field: Engineering
Jonah Salzman-Cohen
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Vermont
Area of Study: Forestry
Professional Field: Forestry
New York
William Avis
Most Recent Education Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology
Area of Study: Industrial Design
Professional Field: Furniture Design
Alberta Eshenour
Most Recent Education Institution: State University of New York at Geneseo
Area of Study: International Relations
Professional Field: Public Policy
Lukas Griffin
Most Recent Education Institution: Oberlin College
Area of Study: Computer Science
Professional Field: Computer Science
Sumin Lee-Jeong
Most Recent Education Institution: Columbia University
Area of Study: English and Comparative Literature
Professional Field: Theatre and Arts Administration
Zoe Shannon
Most Recent Education Institution: Binghamton University
Area of Study: History and Middle East & North African Studies
Professional Field: Refugee Resettlement
Ryan Strick
Most Recent Education Institution: Binghamton University
Area of Study: Urban and Regional Planning
Professional Field: City/Regional Planning
Samantha Velez
Most Recent Education Institution: Fashion Institute of Technology
Area of Study: International Trade and Marketing
Professional Field: Supply Chain
North Carolina
Peyton Carrington
Most Recent Education Institution: High Point University
Area of Study: Communications and Event Management
Professional Field: Event Management
Brooke Conrad
Most Recent Education Institution: Hillsdale College
Area of Study: Englsih
Professional Field: Journalism
Quinton Moore
Most Recent Education Institution: North Carolina State University
Area of Study: Communications
Professional Field: Film and Video Production
Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Czerpak
Most Recent Education Institution: Drexel University
Area of Study: Culinary Science
Professional Field: Hospitality
Joseph Desmone
Most Recent Education Institution: American University
Area of Study: International Studies
Professional Field: Politics
Andrew Halza
Most Recent Education Institution: Case Western Reserve University
Area of Study: Biology
Professional Field: Biomedical Research
Juliana Landis
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Vermont
Area of Study: Environmental Science
Professional Field: Environmental Science
William Summer
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Area of Study: Computer Engineering
Professional Field: Computer Engineering
Puerto Rico
Gabriel Negrón
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
Area of Study: Economics
Professional Field: Economics
South Carolina
Roberta Lancaster
Most Recent Education Institution: Culinary Institute of America
Area of Study: Food Business Administration
Professional Field: Culinary Arts
Matthew Martin
Most Recent Education Institution: Furman University
Area of Study: Chemistry
Professional Field: Science Policy
Piper Powell
Most Recent Education Institution: Furman University
Area of Study: Psychology and German Studies
Professional Field: Neuroscience
Robert Spencer
Most Recent Education Institution: University of South Carolina – Columbia
Area of Study: Political Science and German
Professional Field: Politics
South Dakota
Jessie Allcock
Most Recent Education Institution: Elmhurst Collge
Area of Study: Biology
Professional Field: Dentistry
Texas
Caroline Bik
Most Recent Education Institution: The University of Texas at Austin
Area of Study: Aerospace Engineering
Professional Field: Aerospace Engineering
Andrew Hitscherich
Most Recent Education Institution: Texas A&M University
Area of Study: Business and Fincance
Professional Field: Business Consulting
Karolyn Newton
Most Recent Education Institution: St. Edward’s University
Area of Study: Environmental Science and Policy
Professional Field: Sustainability
Virginia
Cameron Brandon
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Virginia
Area of Study: German Studies and Foreign Affairs
Professional Field: Politics
Harrison Branner
Most Recent Education Institution: Duke University
Area of Study: Environmental Science
Professional Field: Energy and Environmental Policy
Holland Cathey
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Virginia
Area of Study: Environmental Sustainability and German Literature
Professional Field: Urban and Environmental Planning
Billy Hughes
Most Recent Education Institution: Woodgrove High School
Professional Field: Emergency Medical Services
Diana Sosa
Most Recent Education Institution: Georgetown University
Area of Study: International Affairs
Professional Field: International Education
Vermont
Allan Wheeler
Most Recent Education Institution: Vermont Technical College
Area of Study: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professional Field: Geologic Engineering
Washington
Allison Charoni
Most Recent Education Institution: University of Washington