Your passport to global affairs

NCWA Awards 12 Scholarships
To Students For Summer Study 

The Naples Council on World Affairs has awarded 12 summer scholarships totaling $70,000 to high-achieving high school juniors from Collier and Lee Counties. The 2025 scholarship awards mark the 25th year of NCWA’s partnership with SWFL schools. 

In keeping with NCWA’s mission, the scholarships are focused on international relations education. The programs take place in July at some of the most prominent universities in the world, both in the United States and abroad.

• North America: Students will attend academies on international affairs, national security, and other topics at Georgetown, American, Tufts, and Harvard universities. 

• International: Students broaden their experience and understanding of global issues, culture, language, and politics through a homestay, visiting historical sites with local experts, and formal language instruction. Several students were selected for the Experiment in International Living in Germany, Japan and Costa Rica. Another was chosen to participate at Oxford University.
  

The 2025 NCWA scholarship winners are:

• Mason Lyba, Aubrey Rogers High School, EIL Japan: Language and Culture.
• Victoria Busch, Fort Myers High School, EIL Germany.
  
• Clayton Grass, Gulf Coast High School and student at FGCU, EIL Germany.
  
• Siri Kolli, Aubrey Rogers High School, EIL Costa Rica.
  
• Catherine Saadeh, Gulf Coast High School, Oxford Academia International Relations and Diplomacy.
  
• Cailyn Andrews, Golden Gate High School and dually enrolled in both Florida State College and FGCU, Harvard C-Change Youth Summit on Climate, Equity and Health.
  
• Alexa Parsons, Gulf Coast High School, Jinny & John Johnson Scholarship to Tufts University program in international relations.
  
• Ilormise Sirenord, Lorenzo Walker High School, completing dual degree at Florida Southwestern State College, American University School of International Service.
• Vibhav "V.J." Nimmagadda, Gulf Coast High School, Georgetown University, International Relations.
  
• Sebastian Canizares, Fort Myers High School, Georgetown University, International Relations.
  
• Arya Agarwal, Bishop Verot High School, Georgetown University, Nat. Security.
  
• Arya Rajaran, Gulf Coast High School, Georgetown University, National Security.
  

Members in Recent Survey Offered Suggestions
And Thanks to NCWA Leaders

Lectures: 

• Topics: The addition of broader topics in the international arena (global education and health, supply chains, impact of cryptocurrency on financial markets, etc.) was suggested. 
  
• Speakers: Lecturers were regarded as generally excellent, but a mixture of experts from various perspectives (fewer think tanks, more from the field, government, foreign countries) and from varied areas (Latin America, Africa) would be welcome. Also, members suggested fewer repeat appearances by speakers.
  
• Some asked for a wider diversity of perspectives, requested a more "balanced political/economic view" and suggested presentation of two point of view on a single topic. 
  
• Members emphasized the need to keep introductions of speakers short and to cut off “speeches” and irrelevant questions during the question-and-answer period. 
  
• Some members expressed problems hearing at lectures. The Board needs to investigate and to provide information on how to use the venue's hearing support system.
  

Great Decisions: Briefing books continue to challenge our members. Supplemental materials could be shorter and more clearly written. 

General:

• Members aren't given enough information about where and how to volunteer.
  
• They want social interaction and opportunities to discuss with others what they are learning.
  
• Some suggested using dues to support more member activities such as lectures and events and that all scholarships should be funded by donors. 
  

Membership and Marketing:

• Diversify the age of membership, leadership and audience.
  
• Develop use of social media.
  
• Reach out to the community.
  

NCWA leadership: Keep up the good work!

NCWA leaders are appreciated. But make sure NCWA is current and relevant to the times.