Around and Round We Go

This is catalog of my experience of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship opportunity cycle.

For those who don’t know the Thomas J. Watson is a fellowship opportunity between 42 different partner colleges for a chance that one of their students can go do an international passion project from around the world for $40000. For more information please follow this link: https://watson.foundation/fellowships/tj.

Since my college was one of the 42 partnered colleges, I had an opportunity to apply and win. They had an internal college selection process and external selection process from Watson themselves. All we had to do to be eligible is to complete the application with our personal statement, recommendations, budget, and project proposal. Once that process was completed the college would select half to interview, and then choose four of those to be nominated for the Watson external selection.

I was one of the four selected to go to the external selection process. I was sat with a college committee member who would help me with the planning, rewriting, and editing on my proposal, statement, and budget before submitting the application. They also helped me with the interview process from the Watson agent that happened in December. It took months of work, but I was finally able to pin down a project that I was happy to submit and discuss during my Watson Interview.

I then waited three months to here the results. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it, but two of the nominees did. Being honest, I was very disappointed because I knew all the background and information about the project. I also truly felt that it displayed my compatibility for the project and the longevity of it. I know people mention that the skills and knowledge learned from doing it is valuable, but it still feels like I did this work all for nothing. Regardless, it is done and out of the way. If you would like to look at my project, It is down below.

I am now back to the drawing board. Back to square one.

Here is my project: It goes personal statement, project proposal, contact list, and finally budget