As part of our effort to launch our top student leaders into careers in foreign policy, the Alexander Hamilton Society is proud to announce and congratulate the 2024 cohort of Hamilton National Fellows. Emerging from a highly competitive applicant pool, these students each secured internships in Washington, DC on the Hill, the federal government, think tanks, and the private sector.
The core part of the fellowship is a six-part seminar on American grand strategy, taught by Dr. Kenneth Pollack. The course will provide an overview of how U.S. grand strategy has evolved since the founding of the republic, with a particular focus on the role of leadership, international power dynamics, domestic politics, and ideas. The fellows will also take part in a military staff ride to Gettysburg.
Through AHS’s financial assistance and coordinated programming, our fellows can take full advantage of their summer in DC. They will be paired with AHS alumni to facilitate their professional growth and receive mentorship about careers in foreign affairs. We are eager to have them, and we hope that this fellowship encourages all AHS students to pursue their professional passions in foreign policy, national security, and economic statecraft.
2024 Hamilton National Fellows
Ethan CHiu, Yale UNIVERSITY ’26
U.S. Federal Government
Ethan Chiu is a rising junior at Yale University studying Global Affairs and History, with a specific focus on emerging technologies. Ethan is a Kerry Fellow and Yale Law School Information Society Project Student Fellow. He also serves as Vice President of the AHS Yale Chapter, Chairman of the Yale Foreign Policy Initiative, Political Chair of the Yale Taiwanese-American Society, and Business Director of the Yale College Council. He has previously interned at the Department of Defense, American Enterprise Institute, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. As a Hamilton National Fellow, Ethan hopes to learn about technology’s applications in modern grand strategy from fellow Hamiltonians and distinguished scholars. Over the next five years, Ethan hopes to serve in the U.S. Navy and work toward a Ph.D. in Science, Technology, and Society.
Samantha DeCosta, UNIVERSITY of California, Berkeley ’25
U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
Samantha is a rising senior studying Political Science and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. She is passionate about international relations and issues concerning human rights and conflict resolution. Samantha is also interested in the intersections between politics, psychology, and religion. Previously, she has interned at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the Office of Ranking Member James E. Risch. This summer, Samantha is an intern at the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party in the Office of Chairman John R. Moolenaar. Samantha would like to work at the U.S. State Department and become a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service to promote peace and serve the United States.
Olivia Eads, Johns Hopkins UNIVERSITY ’27
American Enterprise Institute
Olivia is a rising sophomore at Johns Hopkins University studying Political Science and Psychology. Having grown up in Washington, DC, constantly surrounded by politics, she developed particular interests in contemporary security studies and the impact of economic sanctions. Active on campus as a member of the Alexander Hamilton Society, competitor on the Model UN travel team, and editor for the Foreign Affairs Review Journal, she has extensively researched great power competition. Olivia passionately believes in the importance of respectful, intellectual discourse, and has won multiple championships in the National Speech and Debate Association. She is pursuing a summer internship with the American Enterprise Institute, where she will study defense strategy, Pentagon budgeting, and the U.S. industrial base. Olivia hopes the HNF will deepen her understanding of global power dynamics and propel her towards a career in international law and policymaking.
rob Gioia, UNIVERSITY of Michigan ’27
The Vandenberg Coalition
Rob is a rising sophomore at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and intends to major in Public Policy. Growing up in southern Florida to a family of immigrants, Rob formed a profound appreciation for the American dream, motivating him to pursue a career in public service. At the University of Michigan, Rob is an editor for the Michigan Journal of Political Science and a writer for the UM Hamiltonian Statecraft, where he published an opinion piece calling for the return of American oil sanctions on Venezuela. During the 2024 summer cycle, Rob will intern at The Vandenberg Coalition on their government affairs team, where he will brief experts for Congressional hearings, study Latin American relations, and recommend immigration policy changes. Rob hopes to employ the HNF’s lessons on American leadership and geopolitical strategy to realize his goals of practicing international trade law, lobbying legislative change, and shaping American foreign policy.
Emma Hamilton, UNIVERSITY of texas at austin ’26
Office of U.S. Representative Marc Veasey
Emma is a rising junior studying Plan II (liberal arts honors program), Spanish, and Government at the University of Texas at Austin. She was inspired to pursue public service in high school after recognizing the dangers posed by both climate change and climate activists who are quick to disparage institutions rather than work from within them. Particularly, she is interested in how the global accordance needed to reach net zero runs afoul of U.S. security interests. This summer, she is eager to experience the world of policy she hopes to one day shape as an intern in the Office of United States Representative Marc Veasey. As a Hamilton National Fellow, she looks forward to exploring the changing role of American hegemony and discussing the importance of preserving a rules-based international order. Upon graduation, Emma hopes to serve in the Peace Corps and as a Foreign Service Officer working to strengthen international climate agreements consistent with U.S. national security imperatives.
Theo Illarionov, Brown University '27
U.S. Federal Government
Theo is a rising sophomore and Army ROTC Cadet at Brown University, where he studies International and Public Affairs and Public Health. He has been passionate about international affairs for as long as he can remember, reading everything he could on the topic and reaching out to experts in the field. Of particular interest to him is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Along with his academic interests, he has a multitude of roles mentoring Naval Sea Cadets and has been a volunteer firefighter for four years. This summer, Theo will be interning with the federal government. Theo believes the Hamilton National Fellowship will provide him opportunities to connect with students who share his passion for policy discussions and cultivate an environment to explore career pathways in public service.
Alexander Joel, Dartmouth College '25
U.S. Department of Treasury
Alex is a rising senior at Dartmouth College majoring in Government and Russian Language. His interests include Eastern European, Eurasian, and Russian foreign policy, subversive statecraft, strategic corruption, and sanctions. At Dartmouth, he serves as AHS chapter president, works as a research assistant to Professor William Wohlforth, and is a War & Peace Scholar. Alex has interned on the Hill for Senator Mark Warner and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Licensing Division. Alex will be rejoining OFAC with the Enforcement Division this summer. Through the Hamilton National Fellowship, he hopes to gain a better understanding of how grand strategy influences decision-making during crisis situations in preparation for a career in national security.
John Keating, College of William and Mary '26
Hudson Institute
John is a rising junior at the College of William and Mary studying Economics and International Relations. He has a regional concentration on the Indo-Pacific and is learning Mandarin Chinese, which he studied intensively last summer while abroad in Taiwan. John’s academic research has focused on the Belt and Road Initiative and the economic aspects of modern great power competition. In keeping with this interest, he will be working with the Hudson Institute’s China Center as a research intern this summer. Following graduation, John hopes to pursue a career in foreign affairs through public service. He believes that through public service he will be able to leverage his interests in history, politics, and economics for the betterment of others. John hopes that the Hamilton National Fellowship will teach him valuable skills and cultivate lasting connections that will help in his goal to enter public service.
William Ledesma, Vanderbilt University '25
U.S. Department of Justice
William is a rising senior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Law, History & Society and European Studies: Russia and Eastern Europe, with a minor in Business. His interest in foreign policy and national security stems from his previous historical research on Russia. William’s ongoing honors thesis research at Vanderbilt is on the 1990s in Russia under Boris Yeltsin. More broadly, William’s appreciation for historical scholarship is demonstrated in promoting undergraduate students from around the U.S. while serving as the 2023-2024 Editor-in-Chief of the Vanderbilt Historical Review and in his work at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, where he received the Dewey Lee Curtis Scholarship. He has also previously worked at the Law Department of General Atomics, a defense manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems. This summer, he will intern at the U.S. Department of Justice. Upon graduation, William will pursue a career in law and national security.
Erin Osborne, Hillsdale College '25
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Erin is a rising senior at Hillsdale College studying Spanish, Journalism, and Military History & Grand Strategy. Her interest in international relations has grown through her study of the Russian language, classes on military history, and internships with both the United Kingdom House of Commons and the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She is particularly interested in Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Erin is the President of the Hillsdale College Chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society. As a Winston Churchill Fellow at Hillsdale College, Erin also edits and writes for the Churchill Project. This summer, she looks forward to increasing her knowledge of national security and American foreign policy through the Hamilton National Fellowship and interning at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Central News Office. After graduation, Erin hopes to pursue a career in the U.S. government related to foreign policy and would love to live abroad.
Junwon "Junie" Park, College of William and Mary '25
U.S. Federal Government
Junie is a rising senior at the College of William and Mary studying Government with a minor in Data Science. Junie is interested in grand strategy, defense, and diplomacy. Specifically, he is interested in how the United States and its allies can utilize various tools of statecraft to maintain and expand the values of the liberal international order around the world. Through the Hamilton National Fellowship, Junie hopes to learn how the United States and the world grapple with issues of statecraft. Equally as important, he hopes to make as many relationships and friends as possible during the HNF and beyond. Junie was previously a summer fellow at U.S. INDOPACOM working on defense issues in the Indo-Pacific and will be working in a similar role this summer in the federal government. Upon graduation, he hopes to continue contributing to the United States’s mission of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific by pursuing a career in public service.
Pranav Pattatathunaduvil, Yale University '25
U.S. Department of State
Pranav is a rising senior majoring in Global Affairs at Yale University. He is deeply passionate about Indo-Pacific geopolitics, especially U.S.-India relations and U.S.-China tech competition. Pranav became interested in the region after interning for a year and a half at the Hudson Institute, where he researched imperial China’s regional influence and the evolution of India’s foreign policy. His passion for technology emerged through his internship at the Special Competitive Studies Project and his ongoing leadership of the Geopolitics of Technology Initiative. This summer, he will be interning at the State Department’s Office of Pakistan Affairs, and through the Hamilton National Fellowship, he hopes to analyze how an effective grand strategy should respond to issues in diverse theaters. In 2026, Pranav will receive his MPP in Global Affairs at the Yale Jackson School, after which he aims to become a civil servant at the State Department.
Jaden Stewart, Princeton University '26
The Heritage Foundation
Jaden is a rising junior at Princeton University, where he concentrates in Politics with minors in Finance, History, and the History and Practice of Diplomacy. At Princeton, he serves as the Chairman of the Cliosophic Society, the oldest conservative debate society in the nation. Last summer, he had the privilege of working with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Congressman Byron Donalds, and studying Chinese foreign relations with Chairman Mike Gallagher. These experiences bolstered his interest in international trade and defense policy. This summer, he is conducting policy research at the Heritage Foundation. Jaden is excited to participate in the Hamilton National Fellowship to further his passion for historical grand strategy and defense technology. After graduation, he plans to attend law school followed by a career in political commentary and public office.
Matthew Tweden, University of North Carolina '25
Patomak Global Partners
Matthew is a Robertson Scholar studying Public Policy and Peace, War, and Defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as Political Science at Duke University. His study of foreign and defense policy focuses on U.S. grand strategy in the Indo-Pacific, with particular interest in great power competition in Melanesia. He previously interned at the Hudson Institute, the Centre for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy, and was a 2023 AEI Summer Honors Academy fellow. After graduation, Matthew plans to pursue a law degree before working in public sector national security law. Matthew is grateful for the opportunity to learn from both experienced professionals and intellectually-curious peers through the Hamilton National Fellowship.
Noah Van Horne, Georgetown University '25
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Noah is a rising senior at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he is studying International Politics with a concentration in Security Studies and minors in Japanese and History. His deep interest in U.S.-East Asia relations, security, and defense and military strategy began with his study of Japanese and World War II history in high school. As an intern with the CSIS Japan Chair, Noah continues to explore these interests, focusing specifically on the U.S.- Japan alliance. Through the Hamilton National Fellowship, Noah hopes to learn from respected practitioners, engage with peers interested in international affairs, and explore the development and progression of U.S. grand strategy. After graduation, he hopes to live in Japan to hone his Japanese language skills and pursue a career in defense and national security.
Jacob Willner, Yeshiva University '25
Hudson Institute
Jacob is a rising senior at Yeshiva University majoring in History and minoring in Political Science. At Yeshiva, he is a scholar at the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, where he studies Jewish theological ideas combined with political theory. Jacob is extremely interested in national security, something which drove him to participate in the American Enterprise Institute’s Summer Honors Program and the Hudson Institute’s Political Studies Fellowship last summer. Through these programs, he studied American political thought and deepened his interest in foreign policy, inspiring him to restart the Alexander Hamilton Society at Yeshiva University last fall. This summer, Jacob will be returning to the Hudson Institute as a research intern for the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East directed by Dr. Michael Doran. He is excited to expand his network and learn more about the national security field through the Hamilton National Fellowship.
Alexandra Wong, Princeton University '25
The Boeing Company
Lexi is a rising senior at Princeton University studying Public and International Affairs, with minors in Classics, Russian and Eurasian Studies, and History and the Practice of Diplomacy. From family stories about living through and serving in WWI and WWII, both in America and France, she became interested in transatlantic security cooperation and European defense. Previously, she interned at the Center for the Study of Democracy in Sofia, Bulgaria, researching Russian and Chinese illicit finance and state capture in Southeast Europe. On campus, she is both a research assistant at the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination studying grey-zone conflict in the Balkans and a fellow in the Program on Global Diplomatic and Security Challenges. Lexi’s affiliation with AHS includes her roles as the co-president of the Princeton Chapter, a former National Defense Fellow, and a former Professional Programs intern. Through HNF, she is excited to learn more about American strategic history to inform her career goal of working in Euro-Atlantic defense.
Grace Yetter, Rice University '25
American Foreign Policy Council
Grace is a rising senior at Rice University majoring in Political Science with a Certificate in Italian. After taking a history class on nuclear weapons her freshman year, she became interested in nuclear politics and the Middle East. She has previously explored Middle Eastern affairs and nuclear policy through internships at the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for the Middle East and the Euro-Gulf Information Center, a Rome-based think tank. Through the Hamilton National Fellowship, Grace looks forward to forming close connections with Hamiltonians and expanding her understanding of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East through the lecture series on American Grand Strategy.
Evelyn Yu, Columbia University '25
U.S. Federal Government
Evelyn is a rising senior at Columbia University studying Political Science with a focus on international affairs. More specifically, she is passionate about U.S.- China relations and the ongoing Cross Strait Conflict. Previously, she interned at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in the International Organizations department. On campus, Evelyn serves as the Managing Editor for the Columbia Political Review and contributes as a Columnist Writer producing pieces on U.S.-China relations and Taiwanese politics. This summer, she is excited to intern with the federal government. Through the Hamilton National Fellowship, Evelyn hopes to gain a deeper understanding of national security, defense policy, American Grand Strategy, and human rights in the Indo-Pacific region. After graduation, she envisions a career centered around national security policy.