Barnard graduates are recognized for securing some of the most prestigious and competitive fellowships available. Among those is Schwarzman Scholars, a fellowship in which recipients are awarded a one-year master’s program in global affairs at Beijing’s Tsinghua University — one of China’s foremost universities and a top 20 institution in the world.
Kelsey Chin ’21 is one of the 150 young leaders selected for the program’s 2025-2026 cohort — the application cycle of which stands as the most competitive in the award’s history, with nearly 5,000 applicants worldwide. Chin joins a group of impressive peers, including a leading cancer researcher, an archaeologist, and the recipient of the Singapore Prime Minister’s Book Prize.
Having worked as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives — where she covered immigration, science, space, and technology — and as a field organizer for the 2024 Harris-Walz presidential campaign in Arizona, Chin is committed to learning how international politics affect domestic affairs. The Schwarzman Scholars program, with its focus on fostering meaningful dialogue between the U.S. and China, aligns with both her personal and political interests.
“At this critical time for global cooperation, rather than division, I look forward to studying critical minerals, space policy, and global migration in Beijing next year,” said Chin. “As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, as a policy advisor, and as an advocate on behalf of the AANHPI diaspora in the United States, I hope to use the insights gained from this program to better advise U.S. policymakers on areas of collaboration between the United States and China.”
Through Barnard’s 4+1 Pathway — a program that offers students the unique opportunity to combine an undergraduate degree with a master’s at Columbia — Chin pursued an MPA in urban and social policy with a regional specialization in East Asia at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Advocacy for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community is a cornerstone of Chin’s advocacy work. While still a student at Barnard, Chin founded Cranes for Change, a fundraising project that donated $28,000 to support community organizations in NYC’s Chinatown and victims of COVID-19 anti-Asian hate crimes and other AANHPI-serving organizations nationally.
“I’m grateful for the education I received at Barnard and the professors who equipped me with the knowledge to center our shared humanity in policymaking as well as to recognize and work to alleviate negative social determinants of health within governmental and transnational frameworks — and always fight for young and diverse representation,” said Chin.
Beyond her advocacy work, Chin also became a 2023 Grammy-winning flutist when the New York Youth Symphony’s debut album, Florence Price, Valerie Coleman, Jessie Montgomery, won the award for Best Orchestral Performance.
With six Barnard alumnae accepted as Schwarzman Scholars over the past seven years, Beyond Barnard — the center for career resources that advises students and alumnae on competitive fellowships — has been an instrumental part of the College’s remarkable track record of Schwarzman fellows.
“We are delighted that Kelsey joins another international cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, as part of the growing number of fellowship recipients in the past few years,” said A-J Aronstein, Assistant Vice President of Lifelong Success and Senior Advisor to the Provost at Barnard College. “I am honored to work with many promising students and outstanding alums that are working toward making the world a better place, and our work at Beyond Barnard focuses on continuing to support their efforts through funding for research and other opportunities during their time here and beyond, at any point in their careers.”
About the Schwarzman Scholars Program
Schwarzman Scholars was established in 2013 with its foundational understanding of China as an educational focal point of the 21st century. The one-year, immersive experience in Beijing is designed to expose individuals from across the world to a network of exceptional leaders, educators, and innovators dedicated to change-building.
“Our 10th cohort fills me with optimism for the future,” said Stephen A. Schwarzman, founding trustee of Schwarzman Scholars. “This year’s selected scholars are keenly interested in learning about China and broadening their understanding of global affairs, which are both now more important than ever.”
The highly selective program seeks to cultivate global leaders with a deep understanding of international affairs. Each year, up to 200 exceptional candidates are selected from a worldwide pool with emphasis placed on demonstrated leadership and the potential to bridge cultural and political divides.
—TARA TERRANOVA ’25
