Five Jepson Scholars to Study at Oxford
Since its founding in 2019, the Jepson Scholars Foundation has offered a limited number of graduating seniors all-expenses-paid scholarships to one-year master’s programs at the University of Oxford. The 2026 Jepson Scholars cohort — Samuel Chanenson, Abigail Green, Emerson Linden, Daniel Polonia, and Jacob Schumer — brings the number of scholarship recipients since the program’s inception to 32.
Chanenson, a leadership studies and psychology major, presented his senior honors thesis research on the relationship between mindsets and symptoms of depression and anxiety at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Convention in Chicago in February. He is pursuing a Master of Science in applied digital health at Oxford.
Green majored in leadership studies; philosophy, politics, economics, and law (PPEL); and Italian studies. Her senior honors thesis investigated the responses of four public Virginia universities to current events. In an independent study, Polonia, a leadership studies and rhetoric and communication studies major, explored the impact of more women in academia on the public’s perception of higher education. Both Green and Polonia are enrolled in Oxford’s Master of Science in higher education program.
Linden and Schumer, both leadership studies and political science majors, are pursuing Oxford’s Master of Science in comparative social policy. Linden researched policy issues related to housing affordability and welfare during her Jepson internship with the Virginia Poverty Law Center. Schumer dug into health policies during his Jepson internship with the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.
2026 Jepson Scholars Samuel Chanenson, Emerson Linden, Jacob Schumer, Abigail Green, and Daniel Polonia
Leadership in action
Jepson students gain valuable leadership experience through their involvement in student governments and organizations, sports teams and clubs, campus jobs, and more.
A commitment to public service drives CJ Blastos, ’27. He was elected president of the Richmond College Student Government Association (RCSGA) in March 2026, after serving as an RCSGA senator since his first year on campus. In June 2025 after devoting hundreds of hours to voluntary public service, personal development, and physical fitness, he received the Congressional Award Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor for youth.
“Serving as RCSGA president will place the greatest multiplier on what I can give back to campus. You don’t do these things for the title; it’s about the service.”
Emma McCauley, ’26, made history when she became the first woman elected to the student government of the University’s historically all-male Richmond College. As a Richmond College Student Government Association senator, she spearheaded the Pathways of Gratitude initiative to thank University staff who kept the campus open during multiple snow days. She received the Richmond College Medal in recognition of her leadership.
“My goal was never just to hold a position, but to broaden perspectives and challenge assumptions, reinforcing that leadership is defined by impact, not tradition.”
At a time when many student-athletes transfer colleges to maximize the return on their name, image, and likeness (NIL), Michael Walz, ’26, chose to remain at Richmond for his four undergraduate years. The standout starting center served as captain of the Richmond Spider men’s basketball team and as president of the University’s chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society.
“Part of my role as team captain was to empower the younger guys to have a voice, to find some way to bring all these guys together into a winning culture.”
The Jepson internship
The Jepson School’s credit-bearing internship gives rising seniors a chance to explore career interests while observing and practicing leadership in corporate, nonprofit, and government organizations.
An internship in the New Jersey congressional district office of U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer furthered Jack DeKorte’s understanding of policy and politics. He played a critical role in the office’s response to constituents fleeing Israel during the Twelve-Day War with Iran. He recently matriculated at Boston College Law School.
“This summer I got to see leadership from the inside, while helping a lot of people in my home district.”
Shelby Richards, ’26, gained first-hand experience researching and presenting interactive educational programs during her Assateague Island National Seashore internship. The leadership studies and African studies major plans to earn a Ph.D. in Black or Africana studies and pursue an education-focused career.
“My internship on Assateague reinforced my love of being an educator, especially in a nontraditional setting.”
As an intern with the people-consulting team in EY’s Atlanta office, Amanda Reese, ’26, helped clients’ employees understand the goals of major company transitions. The leadership studies and American studies major accepted a return offer from EY to work in the company’s New York office after her graduation.
“During my internship, I was a sponge, excited to be learning new things and helping people solve problems. Consulting is a great way to do both.”
Charlotte Tisdale, ’26, investigated how stable housing influences overall health during her internship with SupportWorks Housing, a Richmond-based nonprofit with a mission to end homelessness. The leadership studies and health studies major is now enrolled in a public health master’s program at Boston University.
“I had previously worked in public health and wanted to explore housing as a system-level social determinant of health.”
Student research
Four Jepson School students presented their research at the 2026 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Convention in Chicago in February. Dr. Crystal Hoyt, their faculty mentor and a professor of leadership studies and psychology, accompanied them. “It is important to involve students in the creation of new knowledge through original research,” Hoyt said.
Eighteen students presented their research, including 12 honors theses, at the annual Jepson Research Symposium in April.
Timothy Khoh, ’26, a Singapore native who completed two years of compulsory service in the Singapore military before coming to the University of Richmond, made the case for compulsory military service in the U.S. in his honors thesis. The leadership studies and philosophy, politics, economics, and law (PPEL) major has joined Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a foreign service officer.
In her honors thesis, leadership studies and political science major Kate Chasin, ’26, examined how the 2024 presidential candidates talked about Jewish issues, such as the Israel-Hamas war and the rise of antisemitism in the United States. Now she is pursuing a public policy master’s degree at Georgetown University.
Andrea Punishill, ’26, researched gender-based violence and the prison abolition movement in her honors thesis. The leadership studies and gender and sexuality studies major is now enrolled in a master’s program in gender studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Intercollegiate competitions
A team of four Jepson seniors advanced to the final round of the International Leadership Association undergraduate case competition in Prague in October.
A Richmond team of five Jepson seniors finished in the top 7% of colleges nationwide based upon their performance in regional and national intercollegiate ethics bowl competitions hosted by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.
Members of both teams reported that they honed their critical-thinking and public-speaking skills through their participation in these intercollegiate competitions.
Global Education
To prepare students to lead in a rapidly globalizing world, the Jepson School encourages them to explore leadership in international contexts. Eighty-four percent of the Class of 2026 had at least one international research, internship, or study abroad experience. Eight Spiders participated in Jepson at Cambridge, the school’s signature five-week summer program with an international law focus. One participant, Sabrina Gaytan Lopez, ’27, received a competitive, international Gilman Scholarship to attend the program at the University of Cambridge in England.