Each year a select group of UW students are provided a rare opportunity to independently travel the world as Bonderman Fellows. David Bonderman, a UW alumnus, created the Bonderman Travel Fellowship in 1995, and it has funded life-changing global journeys for more than 330 students thus far.
UW students traveling with this $26,000 fellowship set off on journeys that are at least eight months long and take them to at least two regions of the world. While traveling, students may not pursue academic study, projects, or research. Established in 1995, this fellowship aims to expose students to the intrinsic, often life-changing, benefits of international travel.
We are excited to share that Anthropology major Juan Miguel Jocom was selected as an undergraduate 2025 Bonderman Fellow!
Juan will complete a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) & Anthropology this year. Born in the Philippines and now based in Seattle, Juan is a journalist and storyteller driven by empathy, curiosity, and a commitment to equity. He reports on underrepresented communities with a focus on drag, queer culture, and social justice. Through the Bonderman Fellowship, Juan hopes to explore how news is disseminated and consumed in rural, mountainous communities, from the Andes to Central Asia. He is also interested in how these communities define success, and how platonic male relationships are expressed across cultures. He believes in the power of human-centered storytelling to foster connection across borders and experiences.
For more than twenty years UW alumnus David Bonderman annually supported UW students via travel fellowships that ask them to explore, be open to the unexpected, and come to know the world in new and unexpected ways. The University of Washington Bonderman Fellowship expanded its impact in 2017 with a $10 million endowment from David Bonderman.
In December 2024, David Bonderman passed away at the age of 82. UW staff and the community of Bonderman Fellows are grateful for his legacy and generosity.
Read about Juan and the other Bonderman Fellows on the Bonderman Fellowship website.