Your passport to global affairs

NCWA Awards Twelve Scholarships
For Summer Study in U.S. and Abroad

The Naples Council on World Affairs has awarded 12 summer scholarships totaling $70,000 to high-achieving high school juniors from Collier and Lee Counties. The 2025 scholarship awards mark the 25th year of NCWA’s partnership with SWFL schools. 

In keeping with NCWA’s mission, the scholarships are focused on international relations education. The programs take place in July at some of the most prominent universities in the world, both in the United States and abroad.

• North America: Students will attend academies on international affairs, national security, and other topics at Georgetown, American, Tufts, and Harvard universities. 

• International: Students broaden their experience and understanding of global issues, culture, language, and politics through a homestay, visiting historical sites with local experts, and formal language instruction. Several students were selected for the Experiment in International Living in Germany, Japan, and Costa Rica. Another was chosen to participate at Oxford University.
  

The 2025 NCWA scholarship winners are:

• Mason Lyba, Aubrey Rogers High School, EIL program Japan: Language and Culture.
  
• Victoria Busch, Fort Myers High School, EIL Germany.
  
• Clayton Grass, Gulf Coast High School and student at FGCU, EIL Germany.
  
• Siri Kolli, Aubrey Rogers High School, EIL Costa Rica.
  
• Catherine Saadeh, Gulf Coast High School, Oxford Academia International Relations and Diplomacy.
  
• Cailyn Andrews, Golden Gate High School and dually enrolled in both Florida State College and FGCU, Harvard C-Change Youth Summit on Climate, Equity and Health.
  
• Alexa Parsons, Gulf Coast High School, Jinny & John Johnson Scholarship to Tufts University program in international relations.
  
• Ilormise Sirenord, Lorenzo Walker High School, completing dual degree at Florida Southwestern State College, American University School of International Service.
  
• Vibhav "V.J." Nimmagadda, Gulf Coast High School, Georgetown University, International Relations.
  
• Sebastian Canizares, Fort Myers High School, Georgetown University, International Relations.
  
• Arya Agarwal, Bishop Verot High School, Georgetown University, National Security.
  
• Arya Rajaran, Gulf Coast High School, Georgetown University, National Security.
  

Some of the Many Benefits of Membership in NCWA

A Deep Dive into Critical Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Issues

The Naples Council on World Affairs (NCWA) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to educate, inspire and engage our community in international affairs and global issues. 

Member benefits: Lectures by foreign affairs experts; small nonpartisan Great Decisions discussion groups; rich student programs, including Model UN, Academic WorldQuest competitions for middle school and high school students; scholarships for North American and overseas study; support for teachers, schools and students' careers in international affairs; book club, and opportunities for members to get involved in meaningful programs!

Sign Up for GlobalPost (formerly DailyChatter)

This informative and nonpartisan daily emailed newsletter on international events is a quick way to stay current and enhance your understanding of our lectures and Great Decisions discussions. It is a free benefit of NCWA membership! Click here to subscribe.

Travel with WACA Members

NCWA members enjoy the companionship of like-minded explorers when they explore the world with the World Affairs of America (WACA) travel program. Administered by the Philadelphia Council, tours led by Council members go to a wide variety of destinations. For more information, go to www.wacphila.org.