The Cornell Tradition Fellowship

07/17/2025

Cornell Tradition Fellow Julia Senzon ’26 is spending her summer at 30 Rock in NYC as a production intern for The Weekend: Primetime on MSNBC!

From researching segments and cutting clips to transcribing interviews and helping on set during live broadcasts, Julia is gaining hands-on experience in the fast-paced world of news production.

“I’ve learned how to approach stories from unique angles, edit across platforms, and think strategically about audience engagement,” she shares. “It’s been an incredible opportunity to grow my research and fact-checking skills.”

Are you participating in a funded summer experience? We’d love to feature you! Send your update to Jacinta Stark (jj87@cornell.edu).

07/15/2025

Tradition Fellow Merritt Cox ’27 took a moment from his busy summer experience to share an update with us!

Merritt is spending the summer in Paraguay working as a cowboy and nutritionist on a ranch with 40,000 head of cattle and a 10,000 head feedlot.

“My favorite part so far is getting to experience the culture, practice my Spanish, and go hunting and fishing.”

We always enjoy hearing how students are making the most of their summer experiences!

If you're participating in a support-account-funded summer opportunity, we’d love to hear from you. Send your update to Jacinta Stark (jj87@cornell.edu).

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

07/15/2025

Tradition Fellow Cristian Avelar-Romero '26 is spending his summer in East Liberty, Ohio, as a Product Verification Engineer Intern with American Honda Motor Company.

Cristian is supporting real-world vehicle testing—analyzing mechanical performance, improving test tools, and gaining hands-on experience with how data drives innovation.

One of his favorite highlights is getting an exclusive look at the testing of a brand-new battery electric vehicle (BEV) set to launch next year!

If you're participating in a support-account-funded summer experience, we’d love to hear about it! Share your update by emailing Jacinta Stark (jj87@cornell.edu).

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

07/07/2025

Cornell Tradition alum Alicia Duran ’21, MHA ’22 was recently featured in a CUeLinks Alumni Spotlight!

Learn more about Alicia’s career journey and how her Cornell experience helped shape her path—but first, make sure you’ve created a CUeLinks profile to access the full story: https://cuelinks.cornell.edu/hub/cuelinks/resources/post/navigating-ups-and-downs-with-alicia-duran-21-mha-22

Once you're in, you can explore more alumni spotlights and start connecting with students and fellow alumni.

Learning, Informing, Networking = Knowledge-Sharing

06/20/2025

Congratulations to Cornell Tradition Fellow Logan Bonn'25 for being named a Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellow!

Logan Bonn ’25 is one of 45 students from a pool of 1,500 applicants across the United States named a 2025 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellow.

06/09/2025

Hello Cornell Tradition Alumni!

Our summer 2025 newsletter just dropped! If you didn’t see it in your email inbox, double-check your spam/junk/clutter folders.

Still missing? Contact Jacinta Stark, jj87@cornell.edu to request to be added to our list of subscribers.

In the meantime, you can catch up on all the latest highlights here:

https://mailchi.mp/e65535e9a684/the-cornell-commitment-alumni-newsletter-summer-18149179

Thanks for staying connected and have a wonderful summer!

Jonathan is the inaugural recipient of the “Trailblazer in Organizing and Activism” award for his efforts in Refugee and Migrant Rights, which were recognized at the Amnesty International USA Human Rights Conference in late February. As a mentee in the Youth Board mentorship program, Jonathan he...

06/06/2025

“…a simple idea can make a big impact.”

What began as a sustainability pitch during their undergraduate years at Cornell has grown into a global effort. Cornell Tradition alums Quinn Cox ’15 and Lilia Karimi ’15 launched The Giving Bag in 2013 to give travelers an easy way to donate gently used items before heading home. Since then, the initiative has enabled thousands of pounds of goods to be redirected from landfills to local charities around the world.

Read more about how the couple’s idea became a meaningful movement.

https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/giving-bag/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKv9ltleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFKbkhEMmVXV0N5TTZqQjF6AR7zccxx7HoJD9IH9hqtwEXak6R0Jn0cBChSH9nfXMuMaeUStGh9D0o-37V8rw_aem_4HP9_6AD-9MA_3uDeb-ZIw

Married couple Quinn Cox ’15 and Lilia Karimi ’15 pioneered a simple but ingenious way for resort guests to donate unwanted items

06/06/2025

"In my time with the Cornell Tradition, I’ve forged some of my most cherished friendships, made an impact through service, and learned about the type of mark I want to leave on the world. The Cornell Tradition Fellowship has transformed my identity as a learner, change-maker, and person. Were it not for Tradition, I am not sure I would be where I am today.” ~Anna Hooper

06/05/2025

Hudson has established The Tumey-Boylan Cornell Tradition Fellowship. This fellowship will be awarded to a student who has been actively involved in a Christian organization, either on Cornell's campus or during high school. He has designated his $500 contribution to Community Faith Partners, an organization committed to making the world a better place for all.

06/04/2025

Jade has established The Mrs. Xu’s Medicine Cornell Tradition Fellowship. This fellowship will be awarded to a student pursuing the pre-veterinary or pre-medical track. She has designated her $500 contribution to the Finger Lakes Pregnancy Center, an organization that offers confidential, no-cost services to individuals in Ithaca, Cortland and the surrounding areas.

06/03/2025

QianQian (Qq) has established The Qq Lin Cornell Tradition Fellowship. This fellowship will be awarded to a first-generation student at the Hotel School with a strong commitment to community service and a passion for serving. She has designated her $500 contribution to Loaves & Fishes, an organization that offers free meals, hospitality, companionship, and advocacy to individuals in need, regardless of their faith, beliefs, or circumstances.

06/02/2025

Hannah has established The Hannah Lee Cornell Tradition Fellowship. This fellowship will be awarded to a pre-medical student with an interest in the intersection of public health and medicine. She has designated her $500 contribution to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine.