Stetson international student Diana Ferreira Godinho, a senior from Brazil majoring in Public Management and International Studies (with a minor in Spanish and a Certificate of Community Engagement), has been selected to receive a Schwarzman Scholarship. The honor comes with full funding to pursue master’s degree in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in China.

More than 5,800 students applied and only 150 students — representing 40 countries and 83 universities worldwide — were selected for 2026-2027. Designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars continues to be one of the most selective graduate fellowship programs in the world.

“Receiving the Schwarzman Scholarship is an extraordinary honor and a responsibility,” Godinho said. “It gives me the chance to learn alongside leaders from around the world and deepen my understanding of how policy, governance and innovation intersect. In the future, I plan to build a career connecting public policy and international cooperation, with a focus on expanding opportunity and strengthening inclusive institutions.”

Impressive Background

Fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish, Godinho is a Bonner Program student whose intern experiences include work at the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, The Neighborhood Center, Community Legal Services, the Chisholm Community Center and Habitat for Humanity. She is cofounder of PROAME, Brazil’s leading nongovernment organization addressing hunger, and has represented Brazil at multiple international and United Nations forums. Her experience also spans working in the Brazilian National Congress, supervising sustainable projects in Costa Rica and coordinating high-level diplomatic events in Washington, D.C. Most recently, she was an invited member of the official civil society delegation to the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (March 2025), where she presented research focused on gender and education.

“We are so proud of Diana for earning this acceptance into the Schwarzman Scholars Program,” commented Paula Hentz, senior international officer and director of Global Initiatives for WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning at Stetson. “It’s a really big deal — one of the most selective and globally respected leadership programs in the world. Her acceptance is really a testament to her hard work, dedication and commitment to making a global impact.

“Having a Schwarzman Scholar from Stetson highlights the exceptional quality of our students, and especially our international students. It reflects our university values and our commitment to engaging with the world and preparing students to be thoughtful, impactful change makers.”

“Diana is an impressive young leader,” said Elizabeth Plantan, PhD, an assistant professor of Political Science. “She is an independent, motivated and intellectually curious student who holds herself to the highest academic standards. In addition to her achievements at Stetson, Diana has also distinguished herself as a global leader. Her experience speaking at multilateral international organizations, such as the United Nations, and her nonprofit work and community organizing in Brazil exhibit her capacity to lead at the national and international level.”

Impact of Schwarzman Scholars

With the incoming class, the Schwarzman Scholars network now includes more than 1,500 members from 107 countries and 490 institutions worldwide. Schwarzman Scholars alumni have demonstrated immense leadership capacity, trailblazing in a number of industries and collaborating to tackle pressing issues all around the world.

Starting in August 2026, the newly selected scholars, comprising the 11th cohort, will engage in a graduate curriculum focused on leadership, global affairs and China. The students are taught by leading faculty from Tsinghua, as well as from many globally recognized international universities, and attend lectures delivered by global thought leaders. Scholars gain unique exposure to China through mentoring, internships and experiential learning.

Rachel Core, PhD, associate professor and chair of Stetson’s Department of Sociology & Anthropology, pointed to the geopolitical importance of China in the global economy.

“China is the leading trading partner of many countries in the world, including many countries in the Global South, such as Brazil,” said Core. “The Schwarzman Scholars program allows committed leaders, like Diana, to immerse themselves at one of China’s most well-known universities and envision strategic partnerships to help promote more stable relations into the 21st century.”

In recent years, Stetson has focused on helping students achieve high levels of success through targeted mentorship. In that sense, the Schwarzman award represents validation for the university, noted Michael Eskenazi, PhD, associate professor of Psychology and adviser for External Scholarships and Fellowships.

“Through the Hatter Ready initiative, Dr. Plantan and I developed a course designed to help students apply for prestigious scholarships and fellowships like Schwarzman and others,” he said. “Diana was our first success story from this cohort, and we are expecting many more.”

-Michael Candelaria