Lawrence University Senior Brianna Castillo Awarded Prestigious Watson Fellowship

Lawrence University senior Brianna Castillo has been selected as a recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, a prestigious fellowship that awards graduating seniors a $40,000 stipend for a year of independent, purposeful exploration outside the United States.

Castillo is among 39 students who comprise the 58th class of Watson Fellows announced recently by the Watson Foundation. Watson Fellows are nominated by partner institutions from across the United States and competitively selected to engage in a year abroad to explore a topic of scholarly interest to them. The 2026 class will travel to more than 70 countries and pursue topics spanning a range of topics from healthcare and the arts to environmental sustainability and technology.

"On my Watson year, I plan to explore how women navigate and influence historically male percussion communities across the world," said Castillo, a Music Performance major in Percussion. Her year-long exploration will take her to Ireland, Guinea, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica.

The Watson Fellowship is available to students in any major, and all fields of inquiry are eligible. Students are encouraged to propose projects that meaningfully connect to their backgrounds, interests, and activities but will stretch their boundaries for learning and growth.

"Brianna's selection as a Watson Fellow reflects her intellectual curiosity, creativity, and drive," said Claire E. Kervin, Director of Fellowships Advising. "This fellowship will allow her to pursue an ambitious project and engage in a transformational experience."

Partner Colleges & Universities
Owing to the rigor of the program, participants must be affiliated with one of the 41 college and university partner organizations who advise and support Fellows throughout their projects. Partner organizations include:

Amherst College, Bard College, Bates College, Berea College, Bowdoin College, Bryn Mawr College, Caltech, Carleton College, Colby College, Colgate University, College of the Atlantic, Colorado College, Connecticut College, Davidson College, Earlham College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College, Harvey Mudd College, Haverford College, Hendrix College, Lawrence University, Macalaster College, Middlebury College, Oberlin College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Reed College, Rhodes College, Rice University, Scripps College, Sewanee, Swarthmore College, Union College, University of Puget Sound, Ursinus College, Vassar College, Wellesley College, Wesleyan University, Wheaton College, Whitman College, Williams College

About the Watson Foundation & Watson Fellowship
Established in 1968, the Watson Fellowship is designed to give students a rare opportunity to step outside traditional academic and career pathways and immerse themselves in new cultures while pursuing independent projects. Fellows are selected for their leadership, character, and the originality of their proposed work. The Watson Foundation aims to provide Fellows the opportunity to broaden their perspective, expand their potential, and grow into confident, humane, and effective leaders within a global community.