Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards (OMSFA)

Ellah Fornillos

During my time at UW, I was a Global and Regional Studies major with an interest in foreign diplomacy and non-profit work. Upon graduation, I served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines (2023-2025). I was placed in an urban children's shelter and learned so much about international development and community engagement. I knew that after my service, I wanted to continue studying international relations with a focus in development. Part of the reason why I was looking into schools abroad was to be close to my family. After 2 years of service in the Peace Corps and coming into UW as an out-of-state student, I was ready to be close to home. My dad is serving as a US Army nurse on a German base, and Germany has a variety of incredible Master's programs offered in English. I applied to the Peace Research and Conflict Resolution MA program at the University of Tübingen for its interdisciplinary format and emphasis in international affairs research. I found the DAAD German Scholarship when researching possible funding for school and decided to apply through UW for a possible endorsement. During the entire process, the Global Scholars Program was a tremendous support through it all. I was notified in April that I was a reserve candidate for the scholarship and received the scholarship in early June. I'm extremely excited to get to know my fellow DAAD scholars in my cohort this fall and also gain access to the wide alumni network DAAD offers. My overarching goal is to bring my expertise and insights back to the US in order to lead the US on a path that advances humanitarian goals and protects the well-being of vulnerable communities.

Tips

Use the resources offered by UW, reach out to professors and mentors, and start early! A scholarship has a lot of moving parts, and the earlier you start the more you'll thank yourself down the line.

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