Mikaela Rabb ’18 and Harry Seavey ’19 were named 2022 Schwarzman Scholars
Two Global Affairs alumni, Mikaela Rabb ’18 and Harry Seavey ’19, are among the five Yale affiliates named 2022 Schwarzman Scholars.
In total, 154 students from around the world were selected to study in China beginning in 2021 as Schwarzman Scholars.
The five Yale affiliates were chosen from more than 3,600 applicants for the graduate fellowships, which fund study at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Schwarzman Scholars are selected through a rigorous application process for their leadership potential, academic ability, and strength of character, as well as their potential to bridge cultural and political differences.
While living in Beijing for a year, Schwarzman Scholars pursue a master’s degree in global affairs with a core curriculum focused on three pillars: leadership, China, and global affairs. Each year, the academic program is refined to align with current and future geopolitical priorities. The scholars are taught by leading international faculty, with frequent guest lectures from prominent global thought leaders. Beyond the classroom, scholars gain exposure to China and develop relationships with mentors, high-profile speakers, and noted faculty members, and through internships. Through their coursework, cultural immersion, and personal and professional development opportunities, the scholars develop a well-rounded understanding of China’s role in the world.
“This is truly an inspirational and dynamic group of young people,” said Stephen A. Schwarzman, the founding trustee of the Schwarzman Scholars program. “At a moment when the mission of Schwarzman Scholars is even more important than we could have predicted, I am confident these individuals will become people of consequence in their generation — leading intelligently, acting with integrity, and addressing the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century.”
The Schwarzman Scholar Class of 2022, which includes students from 39 countries and 99 universities, will enroll in August 2021. This is the first year that the class was selected entirely virtually after being interviewed before panels of CEOs, government officials, university presidents, journalists, and nonprofit executives, among others.
Mikaela Rabb ’18 studied global affairs and ethnicity, race, and migration at Yale, where she served as vice president of the Yale International Relations Association and was a first-year counselor. She is currently senior policy associate at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, where she supports policymakers to implement effective policies to promote gender equity. She has taught New Haven high school students to think critically about the world, and is dedicated to a career helping to empower marginalized communities.
Harry Seavey ’19 majored in global affairs at Yale, where he founded Y2Y, an organization dedicated to building one of the United States’ first student-run youth homeless shelters. He was also editor-in-chief of the Yale Review of International Studies and advised the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a combatant command of the U.S. Armed Services, on countering violent extremism in Southeast Asia. He spent last year in Berlin as a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholar and interned for a pan-European political party. He plans to pursue a career in international development.