Shansi Snapshot: Looking Forward, Looking Back

Every year, we face a bittersweet reality; all Shansi Fellowships come to an end. Honoring this transition, which is inevitable but also monumental, can feel daunting. For the second year in a row, we wanted to recognize this milestone in our Fellows’ personal and professional lives by hearing directly from them. 

We did not ask them to focus on the enormity of leaving behind friends, mentors, and communities that have welcomed them, taught them, and collaborated with them over the past two years. Instead we asked them to reflect on smaller, sometimes quirkier parts of their lives that they’ll miss. These are the parts of their Shansi Fellowships that don’t always get full billing within Shansi’s storyscape. But they are fun and beautiful in their own right.

With transition, we also celebrate success. We’re proud to announce that three of our recently returned fellows, Sophie Minoosh Bernstein, Nissa Berle, and Sophie Qano have been selected for prestigious international fellowships. By earning Erasmus Mundus Scholarships and a Fulbright Fellowship, they will pursue interdisciplinary masters degrees in Europe and Canada. You can read more about their work and studies in the following story.