Scholarship Recipients

Olivia is a senior, double majoring in history and French & Francophone studies. She is also an Honors Thesis Fellow, studying child witches of the Spanish Inquisition. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Olivia has previously served as the co-president of Women in Business, the co-editor of the Gallery Literary Magazine, a member of the Howard J. Busbee Finance Academy, and a tutor for adult learners in Williamsburg. After graduating from William & Mary, Olivia will pursue her passion for equity research at T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

Ashleigh is a senior lecturer of kinesiology & health sciences at William & Mary and thoroughly enjoys teaching and mentoring undergraduate students, especially as they work to finish their degrees and enter the workforce. Ashleigh strives to ensure a smooth transition for transfer students into the university so they can be successful.

Xiaoshu is an international student and advocates strongly on behalf of the international student community at William & Mary. She prioritizes learning, loving and thinking. Her personal life goal is to live as happy as possible and as long as possible. She intends to pursue a career in international development. Xiaoshu is excited to join a network of sisterhood!

Juliana was born in Brazil but considers herself a citizen of the world since she has lived in a number of countries. Throughout her career, Juliana has worked for Deloitte, the Rio 2016 Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and the tech startups Knowe and Zume Inc. Juliana is excited to use the skills she has gained during her MBA studies to empower people, have a positive impact on their lives and make the world a better place.

Passionate about furthering hers and others’ journeys toward reflection and betterment, Kaitlyn is studying marketing, psychology and business analytics while also taking on leadership opportunities that have allowed her to practice becoming a mentor, educator and self-learner. Kaitlyn is starting her career as a consultant at an analytics-based company and is deeply committed to helping others reach their full potential, while also remembering to focus on self-improvement and care. 

Amanda Watson is a Ph.D. candidate in the computer science department where she researches wearable technology for healthcare and athletic performance. Amanda received her Master of Science in computer science from William & Mary in 2016 and her Bachelor of Arts in computer science and mathematics from Drury University, where she was a four-year letterman on the varsity volleyball team.

A passion for understanding other perspectives pushed Heather to study international relations and economics at William & Mary. From her honors thesis on exploring the identities of other countries to her work across campus advocating for women, developing understanding between people has always been her goal. Going into the real world, Heather hopes to continue this support and exploration of other perspectives in her role at the Defense Intelligence Agency, stationed in Molesworth, U.K.

Krista's dream in life is to help others discover their passion and purpose. She loves creating spaces of self-discovery and supporting people in living a more fulfilling life. She is allowing her job search and career aspirations to be led by a few personal tenants:

• Living a life of integrity and love
• ​​​​​​Using her time and talents to help others become the very best versions of themselves
• Helping others learn to love themselves more wholly
• Surrounding herself with thoughtful, intentional civically-engaged people who challenge her to approach differences in opinion with curiosity and compassion

Dana is a veteran of the United States Navy with a great deal of expertise in data analytics. In addition to earning her Master of Business Analytics degree, Dana serves as a strategy team chief for the United States Air Force. She intends to start her own business, comprised of veterans and women, focused on the military application of data analytics. As a woman working in male-dominated career fields, such as science and technology, Dana sees that there is a strong need for mentorship between women in those industries.

After graduating college from Washington College in 2005 with a degree in economics, I joined W.P. Carey & Co. Inc., where I held positions in investor relations and sales over a seven-year period. I then held a business development/investor relations position at Two Harbors Investments. After my brief tenure, I joined First Allied Securities, where I ran a $500 million book of business for a top-tier financial advisor. In 2015, I had the opportunity to join Discovery Data, a financial services firm in New Jersey. I began in a business development role and was promoted in 2016 to the consulting team, and again in 2017 to senior vice president of the consulting team. While the job is very demanding, I have made lifelong relationships and friendships with clients and colleagues. In my downtime, I am a mother to an energetic and charismatic little boy, who is the light of my life, Nixon Michael. I look forward to making new connections and friendships and am so honored to be in the Society of 1918 among so many amazing and accomplished women.

My name is Mariana Erana Salmerón and I am a 2021 graduate. I was born in Mexico City and have lived in Chile, Venezuela and the U.S. Growing up biculturally sparked my love for travel and learning languages (including Spanish, English, French and Italian) so that I could meet new people and make meaningful connections. In pursuit of this purpose, I majored in global studies and minored in French. Following along with this theme, participating in the Study in D.C Leadership and Community Engagement Summer Institute introduced me to the nonprofit and education sector. In addition, working in Academic Advising as a peer advisor, in University Advancement as a phonathon caller and experiences within the Cohen Career Center prompted me to work with students, faculty and alumni in various capacities which further sparked my interests in these sectors. Finally, my personal and emotional formation within Catholic Campus Ministry and the Authentic Excellence initiatives in the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center at William & Mary guided me to find harmony and purpose across these different interests and values. I am continuing on this path by getting my master’s degree in education from the University of Notre Dame. As part of this two-year service teaching program, I will be teaching middle school social studies and religion in Phoenix, Arizona. 

I'm so honored and excited to join the Society of 1918! My name is Ifeoma Ayika, and I graduated this May with a government major and a philosophy minor. While Zoom university was fun while it lasted, I am psyched to be working in Chicago! As a Midwesterner by heart, being born and raised in Minnesota, I am grateful to be a little closer to home — even if it means wearing heavy-duty coats again. I’ll be working with McMaster-Carr as one of the management development trainees, and I am living in the city and would love to connect with those nearby! 

At William & Mary, I dedicated my time to marginalized communities — community work is one of my passions and one that I seek to bring everywhere I go! During my time at W&M, I worked as a President’s Aide, a WMSURE mentor, a Student Transition Engagement Program (STEP) directorate, a Student Assembly member, a Student Leadership Development (SLD) worker, a BSO + NAACP exec member and more! It feels right that I give back with a community-based alumni group!

A recent graduate of William & Mary, I was a member of the women’s golf team all four years and a member of Delta Delta Delta my final two years of college. I devoted much of my sophomore year toward an exploration and eventual creation of a self-designed major which centered around the study of journalism and behavioral communications. In addition, I utilized the Global Education Office my sophomore year and studied abroad over the summer in Florence, Italy, furthering my desire to immerse myself within unfamiliar environments. My passion for sports media was birthed through the creation of my own major and my love of athletics. I interned with Discovery Inc. my senior spring semester of college, the only female on the team of individuals I worked with, and had three articles published with Golf Digest, my dream since I was a little girl. I am passionate about women in sports and hope to serve as an example to others to be their own creators, even if it means quite literally designing your own path. Navigating uncharted waters is a prerequisite to making your dreams a reality.

I recently graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary. As a student, I co-founded the CrimDell Small Business Network, an organization aimed at bridging the W&M business student and local small business communities. I was born and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I received my bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in biology and mathematics and my Master of Science from the University of Maryland in marine science. I served for two and a half years in the Peace Corps in the Philippines, where I implemented several USAID-funded projects for sustainable economic development and environmental education. My favorite hobbies include reading, traveling, hiking, freediving and CrossFit. 

Hi, my name is Helen Tariku and I’m from Arlington, Virginia. While at W&M, I double majored in government and sociology with a concentration in crime, law and society, on the pre-law track. My post-graduate plans at the moment are to eventually head off to law school, where I intend to study criminal justice law and business/corporate law.

I enjoy traveling, dancing/exercising (while at W&M I was a fitness instructor for 2.5 years), volunteering, and any music-related hobby. I'm super excited to be part of this amazing group and can’t wait to see what the future has in store!!