Each year a select group of UW students are provided a rare opportunity to independently travel the world as Bonderman Fellows. David Bonderman, a UW alumnus, created the Bonderman Travel Fellowship in 1995, and it has funded life-changing global journeys for more than 330 students thus far.

Bonderman Fellows are encouraged to challenge their assumptions about the places they explore and people they meet during their journeys and instead be open to new discoveries. Increasing our interactions with different people, cultures and places around the world has become increasingly important as technology has accelerated globalization and shaped our digital collective lens on the world. Learning about the world through travel and in-person interactions provides a varied, humane, and complicated understanding of individuals and communities across the world.

PoE’s very own Shannon Cosgrove is one of this year’s Bonderman Fellows — she plans to travel through East Asia and Eastern Europe during her Bonderman journey. Shannon is committed to sustainability, planning to travel by train, bus, and ferry whenever possible. Learn more about Shannon’s plans for her 8 months abroad, as well as the other 2025 Fellows and their regions of exploration, on this page. Congratulations Shannon on this amazing achievement, and bon voyage!