Beijing Bound: Five Princetonians named Schwarzman Scholars

Two seniors and three alumni have been accepted to the Schwarzman Scholars Class of 2027, the program’s 11th cohort. They will join 145 other scholars from around the world for a fully-funded, one-year master’s program in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Selected for this fellowship were seniors Margaret Miao ’26 and Alex Tseng ’26, and alumni Kalena Blake ’24, Gustavo Blanco-Quiroga ’25, and Alison Lee ’24.

Blake is a former managing editor for The Daily Princetonian.

The Princetonians were chosen from a pool of about 5,800 applicants for a cohort of 145 scholars in the program’s most competitive year yet. Starting in August, they will immerse themselves in Chinese culture and global affairs through what the program describes as an “international community that fosters cultural exchange and collaboration.”

For Miao, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major, the news came as a huge relief. She had left her interview in New York convinced she had “screwed it all up” after the interviewers unexpectedly quizzed her on her Chinese skills at the very end.

“I was kind of in a hopeless mindset. I remember seeing the group chat go off during the day, and then there was a missed call from [Schwarzman Admissions Outreach and Selection Officer Thomas Tomezsko],” Miao told the ‘Prince.’ “[He left] a whole voicemail, and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I got it.’”

Miao sees the program as a critical step towards her goal of integrating engineering, communication and policy.

“A lot of progress has to be made with engineers, [such as] knowing how to communicate with people and policy,” she noted, citing a “rift” and “miscommunication, which causes mistrust and a lot of inefficiency.”

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When asked what she is most looking forward to in the program, Miao mentioned using Schwarzman’s Deep Dives program, which funds field research trips to visit rural cities and interview people about their medical challenges.

She specifically aims to improve medical access for rural communities, a career goal inspired by her grandmother’s experience in rural China.

“She wasn’t able to get access to canes and walkers, and she even had to be flown into Beijing to get an actual surgeon to work on her,” Miao said.

“I just thought to myself, ‘These are the types of people that need special care like this,’ and that they don’t have access to it.”

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Blake, a public and international affairs major, received her acceptance call while at work at the Center for a New American Security. She described the morning as “serendipitous,” as just 30 minutes before receiving the news, she found a $100 bill on the ground during a run across the Memorial Bridge.

As a Schwarzman Scholar, she “hopes to advance U.S. foreign policy and navigate the U.S.-China rivalry without conflict.”

Reflecting on her transition from Princeton to the professional world, Blake noted that her time as captain of the women’s lightweight rowing team prepared her for high-pressure environments.

“Rowing requires a lot of discipline, and it really pushes you to limits that you probably didn’t know that you had,” she said.

Blake, who left a consulting job to pursue a policy internship, encouraged students to be open to nonlinear career paths.

“I probably would not have found the Schwarzman program had I not broadened my view of what directions my career could go,” Blake said. “It’s never too late to be a curious student.”

For Lee, a computer science major currently working as an associate at Boston Consulting Group, the acceptance call came at 4 a.m. while she was on vacation with her parents in Thailand.

“I kept my ringer on just in case,” Lee wrote in a statement the ‘Prince.’

Lee, who received certificates in entrepreneurship, cognitive science, and technology and society, plans to explore the intersection of technology and global affairs when she arrives in Beijing.

She explained that her computer science background is critical to her future in entrepreneurship. “CS is a huge part of global affairs, as we can see with the recent US restrictions on chip exports to China,” Lee said.

During her time at Princeton, Lee founded the FemaleFounded conference, which aims to connect women entrepreneurs and is still active on campus today. She hopes to expand this mission while at Tsinghua.

“The Princeton FemaleFounded community fills my heart and the opportunity to make it global with Schwarzman is special to me,” Lee said. “China is booming with innovation right now.”

Reflecting on her time since graduation, Lee advised current seniors to look beyond the immediate stress that comes with the job search.

“While it seems like this will determine your career, it doesn’t need to,” Lee said. “You can change your career and still try many things.”

Blanco-Quiroga, a sociology major who received certificates in entrepreneurship and Latin American studies, was born in Oruro, Bolivia. Immediately following his graduation this past year, he returned to his hometown with the Labouisse Fellowship.

As a Labouisse fellow, Blanco-Quiroga has been restoring Uru Uru Lake in Bolivia, combating mining and plastic contamination.

“It is a project that uses indigenous knowledge to restore the water. There is an ancient practice back in my community where we use plants to decontaminate the water,” Blanco-Quiroga said.

His experience working in Bolivia is what inspired him to apply for the Schwarzman Scholars program. Blanco-Quiroga wants to bridge the cultural gap between mineral-rich Bolivia and China to promote international cooperation.

“I know China is going to be crucial for Bolivia in the future, as Bolivia will also be crucial for the world,” he said.

One way that Blanco-Quiroga plans on executing this partnership is by immersing himself in Chinese culture during his time in China.

“I must be immersed in the culture, if in the future I have the opportunity to serve my country in the international policy sector. I hope to be an empathetic person starting off by being culturally aware of others,” Blanco-Quiroga said.

Tseng, a current senior, is studying electrical and computer engineering. In addition to sitting on the board of the Princeton University Energy Association, Tseng founded his own energy start-up, WattOur. WattOur aims to help electricity grids better handle the strain of increased energy consumption. According to his statement on the Schwarzman Scholars website, Tseng is “driven by a mission for affordable, reliable, and decarbonized electricity.”

Tseng did not provide comment in time for publication.

In a press release announcing the selection of the program’s winners, Founding Trustee Stephen A. Schwarzman wrote, “Our Eleventh Cohort is a truly impressive group that fills me with optimism.”

“I am hopeful that their interest in China and global affairs, coupled with their leadership potential, will create opportunities for collaboration and dialogue at Schwarzman College and beyond.”

Lulu Mangriotis is the assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading student life coverage. She is from New York City and can be reached at lm8001[at]princeton.edu.

Nika Schindler is the assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading university operations coverage. She is from Atherton, Calif., and can be reached at ns1295[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.