Belk alumni reflect on the how the John M. Belk Scholarship impacted their time at Davidson and how the lessons learned while being Belk Scholars have positively influenced their lives after Davidson.

Recent Graduates

Meet the Belk Scholars who have recently graduated - what they studied, how they used their stipends and where they're going. 

Scholar Details
student smiling at camera wearing a beige polo

Caro Djakuduel '23

Majors: Biology and Hispanic Studies (Pre-Med track)

Use of Belk Stipends: Traveled to Spain to study end-of-life-care and to Ghana to shadow medical professionals.

After Davidson: Completing a Watson Fellowship studying barriers faced by black immigrants in Mexico, Senegal, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Julia Bauer ’23

Julia Bauer '23

Major: Physics

Use of Belk Stipends: Summer research and travel to a political science program, as well as conference travel.

After Davidson: Earning a master’s in theoretical physics with the support of the Smith Scholarship, followed by a PhD in Applied Physics.

A student with short brown hair and glasses smiling

Wren Healy '23

Major: Political Science

Minor: Data Science

Use of Belk Stipends: travel to UK, Italy, and Morocco to study religion (various traditions) and poetry.

After Davidson: Working full-time as a consultant with McKinsey and Company.

A white female with brown hair in a bun, wearing a striped shirt and red earrings

Josie Hovis '23

Major: Latin American Studies

Use of Belk Stipends: Conducted research on conceptions of race, belonging and anti-Haitian sentiment in the Dominican Republic.

After Davidson: Serving as a Davidson Impact Fellow with Leading on Opportunity in Charlotte, NC.

Headshot of Truman Scholar Hana Kamran

Hana Kamran '23

Major: Biology

Minor: Public Health

Use of Belk Stipend: Global Health experience in Guatemala, Summer Biochemistry Research at Davidson, Truman Foundation 45th Anniversary Networking Event in DC

After Davidson: Attending medical school at Wake Forest University.

A white woman with curly brown hair wearing a black top smiling

Skylar McVicar '23

Major: Politics, Ethics, and Religion (Center for Interdisciplinary Studies)

Use of Belk Stipends: Support of summer spent interning at a law firm in Charlotte, NC; travel to Israel to study intersection of religion and politics.

After Davidson: Attending law school at Duke University.

A woman with black hair smiling at camera

Audrey Meigs '23

Major: Political Science

Minor: East Asian Studies

Use of Belk Stipends: Studied Chinese-American identity and revitalization of Chinatown in San Francisco; took part in a program to Singapore studying culture and food.

After Davidson: Working as a Program Assistant for Educator Diversity at The Hunt Institute

A white male with blonde hair wears a suit and smiles

Alec Stimac '23

Major: International Relations (Center for Interdisciplinary Studies)

Minor: Chinese Studies

Use of Belk Stipends: Completed a masterclass in music production and recording.

After Davidson: Completing a Fellowship with Venture for America.

Alumni

Belk alumni share what they studied, how they used their stipends and what they gained from their Belk experience at Davidson. 

Scholar Photo Details
Mustafa Abid headshot

Mustafa Abid '15

Major: Political science

Minor: Arab Studies

Use of Belk Stipends: I spent 8 weeks in Amman, Jordan conducting interviews with health care providers working in the refugee health sector; while in Amman I also studied more Arabic and volunteered with a local food kitchen.

Currently: General surgery resident at University of North Carolina Hospitals

In Mustafa's Words: At Davidson, we were immersed in a campus where people are always excited to share and learn from new ideas. Built on a community that values connection and friendship, I will forever look back with gratitude on four years of building lifelong friendships while also getting to really pursue my intellectual interests, wherever they lead me. Central to this experience was that of being a Belk Scholar—not only was the support of the scholarship and its stipend central to my Davidson journey and its many adventures, but the community and learning built around the Belk Scholar experience facilitated much of the growth I experienced as a student at Davidson.

Arielle Korman

Arielle Korman '17

Major: Languages and Cultures of the Middle East 

Use of Belk Stipends: I used one stipend to develop and record original music. I used the other to travel through Spain and Morocco with a Muslim classmate, exploring religious sites important to both our faiths.

Currently: Executive Director and Co-Founder of Ammud, the Jews of Color Torah Academy

In Arielle's Words: As a proud New Yorker at 18 (I still hold that pride!), I knew I wanted to experience living somewhere different from what I knew for college. On my tour of Davidson, I was told that for half the students at Davidson, it's the most religious place they've ever been, and for the other half, it's the most secular. In my time at Davidson I was deeply involved in Jewish life and leadership. Meeting other students grappling with religion, being empowered to help determine the future of Jewish life on campus prompted me to stretch and grow. I bring a Jewish identity so influenced by my time at Davidson with me in my current position as Executive Director and Co-Founder of Ammud, the Jews of Color Torah Academy, a Jewish educational organization for Jewish people of color, by Jewish people of color.

Nick Carney

Nick Carney '11

Major: Political Science

Minor: Economics

Use of Belk Stipends: One stipend was used for the Davidson in Washington Program—an exciting opportunity to intern at a D.C. nonprofit while completing a Political Science course taught by a Davidson faculty member during the evenings. The second stipend allowed me to travel to a series of European countries to interview experts and policymakers driving innovative energy, transportation, and land-use policy.

Currently: Senior Underwriter, Multifamily Finance at the Illinois Housing Development Authority

In Nick's Words: Although many colleges provide a fine education, few (if any) can match Davidson's dedication to cultivating an ethic of service among its students. The Belk Scholarship builds on that commitment, allowing you to fully embrace the countless opportunities that Davidson offers and to bring what you have learned in the classroom to real-world settings far beyond campus. I owe much of my personal and intellectual growth to opportunities provided by the scholarship, and will always be grateful for the chance to be part of the inspiring Belk Scholar community. 

Jessie Li, Davidson Alumna, Belk Scholar and Editor at the New Yorker

Jessie Li '15 

Major: English 

Use of Belk Stipends: I used my first stipend to spend a summer in Hong Kong, teaching poetry to middle school students through the program Breakthrough Collaborative. I used my second stipend to travel to China for an investigative reporting project on education for students with disabilities, through a fellowship with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. 

Currently: Newsletter Editor at The New Yorker

In Jessie's Words: When I visited Davidson as a prospective student, I fell in love with the tight-knit community. That sense of fellowship remained true throughout my time at Davidson, where I formed lifelong friendships and took classes and workshops with brilliant and devoted professors, many of whom I continue to stay in touch with. The support of the Belk Scholarship, in particular, allowed me to pursue writing and journalism wholeheartedly and gave me the opportunity to take internships and study abroad multiple times, in India, Italy, England, Hong Kong and China.

Nate Harding '17

Nate Harding '17

Major:  Education & Community Studies 

Use of Belk Stipends: I used my first stipend to complete a program in Cape Town, South Africa, collaborating with residents and NGO leaders to research and develop strategies to address inequities stemming from the city’s history of systemic racism under apartheid. I used my second stipend to participate in the Davidson in Washington Program, where I worked with a nonprofit advising U.S. government executives.

Currently: Consultant at The Bridgespan Group, advising nonprofits and philanthropists on social impact strategy 

In Nate's Words: The Belk scholarship gave me permission to let go of anxieties around financing my degree and my future and to instead fully devote my time and attention to engaging the abundance of opportunities for self-discovery and growth that every course, every relationship, and every experience seemed to offer. My time as a Belk Scholar at Davidson thus not only solidified my commitment to living a life of leadership and service, it exposed me to the ways in which that commitment can manifest differently for people navigating life in different bodies and different circumstances and enabled me to acknowledge and to celebrate both the richness of our diversity and the shared humanity that unites us all.

Bethany Kirkpatrick '19

Bethany Kirkpatrick '19

Majors: History and Educational Studies

Use of Belk Stipends: I taught summer school for rising 9th graders in Birmingham, AL; I worked in the Brookings Institution's Brown Center for Education Policy with a research focus on teacher diversity and student success.

Currently: MPP Candidate at Harvard Kennedy School and finishing up two years teaching middle school in Rocky Mount, N.C.

In Bethany's Words: I miss Davidson for the conversations: never knowing what would be said, always leaving more thoughtful and more curious. Davidson gave me the chance to surround myself with people who deeply valued knowledge and learning, but who wanted to use that knowledge to do something. It's a culture of passion and conviction, where I learned to notice problems and to ask better questions about them. I'm so thankful for the friendships I made, the professors who still answer my emails, the community I built, and the humility that comes from always having something to learn.