SMEA student Courtney Skalley has been selected as a member of the 2023 Bonderman Fellow cohort. The Bonderman Travel Fellowship was created by UW alumnus David Bonderman in 1995 to fund global journeys as a way of inspiring individual transformation. The 2023 Fellows cover a wide variety of interests including:

• Afro-futurism and presentism
• Black diasporic history and culture
• Counterculture formation as a tool for human connection
• Linguistics and dialects
• Musical events and concert culture
• The relationship between a place’s natural resources and its cuisine, clothing, and culture
• The role of the bicycle in community-building

Courtney is a second-year SMEA student with an interest in sustainable fisheries management. After graduating with a BA in Biology from Texas Christian University in 2019, she spent time in Panama and worked as a fisheries observer in the North Pacific. Her Bonderman travel plans include visits to regions in Africa and Asia. Courtney’s Bonderman profile is provided below.

Courtney Skalley
Master of Marine Affairs
Hometown: Everett, WA

Courtney wants to step away from American consumerism and travel to regions in southeastern Africa and Asia that are intimately in tune with the land and sea. She is excited to see how people across the world interact with their natural resources and observe how that relationship translates into their cuisine, clothing, and culture. Courtney hopes to have earnest conversations with locals to gain a more nuanced understanding of global issues such as climate change and learn about how those issues impact communities both large and small.

More information on this year’s awardees, the Bonderman fellowship, and application process is available here. Congratulations, Courtney!