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

Area of Study: Cinema Studies

Professional Field: Video Production

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