Student Grants: Supporting Unique Talents, Ideas, and Interests

Forty-nine St. Markers were awarded student grants in 2024-2025, with a total of $41,130 distributed to support students’ unique talents, ideas, and interests, provide opportunities to explore, learn, and make connections beyond campus, and extend and deepen knowledge and areas of expertise through student-designed creative projects, research, and experiential learning. 

St. Mark’s features six student grant funds, each with a distinct purpose. The income for five of these grant opportunities is provided by endowed funds established by donors who wished to support independent student initiatives and learning outside of the classroom. 

The A.A. Jones Family International Studies Grant is designed to inspire international educational initiatives among current St. Mark’s students by financing all or part of their travel and room and board for activities that are deemed to be educationally stimulating. 

The Class of 1968 V Form Fellowship Grant provides funding for V Form students to participate in independent study during the school year or during the summer between V and VI Forms. The Class of 1968’s intent in establishing the fund was to reward independent thinking, ingenuity, and planning and to encourage students to explore non-traditional fields of inquiry or use nontraditional methods of investigation. 

The Experiential Project Grant is awarded to VI Form students in support of Lion Term projects. Throughout the application process for this grant, students must show authentic dedication and rigorous organization, including completing adequate research, submitting parent approval, and completing each element on time. 

The Thomas H. Kean ’53 Fellowships were established by the Class of 1962 at their 25th Reunion in 1987 to honor Tom Kean, their teacher, advisor, mentor, and friend. The purpose of this fellowship is to enable students to explore important public policy topics and to embark upon exemplary lives of public service in the spirit of Governor Kean. Kean Fellowships are conferred upon a small number of highly well-qualified students who propose and undertake independent research and study in the field of public service, exploring meaningful public policy issues. 

The Matthews Fund Grant provides funding to students of any Form who are good citizens and solid students. Awards are based on merit and need as determined by a faculty committee. Funds are made for special needs such as tutoring assistance, special instruction, seminars, academic experiences of a national or international nature, and personal growth and advancement opportunities.

The Warren Scholars Grant honors the leadership, service, and vision of Head of School John C. Warren ’74 and Dr. Laura P. Appell-Warren, director of global citizenship, who served St. Mark’s from 2006-2024. Students applying for a Warren Scholars grant will exhibit a strong interest in at least one of three areas that the Warrens care about deeply: community and belonging, environmental sustainability, and global citizenship. 

This year’s grant recipients are: 

A.A. Jones Family International Studies Grant  
Isabelle Lee
Manasa Mahesh
Flora Zhu

Class Of 1968 V Form Fellowship Grant
Ian Cho
Rachel Ding
Emma Fitzpatrick
Nina Hurley
Ryan Kim
Brynn Leonard
Hannah Macron
Joanna Ng
Hale Pulsifer
Louise Sheehan
Anouk Shin
Abby Stone
Eleanor Tesoro
Vivi Tran
Alice Wang
Annabel Zaterka

Experiential Project Grant
Samantha Mundel
Ariel Cheng
Meredith Dane
Winn Irwin
Machias Poreda
Daniel Shin
Mia Solomon
Daniel Song

Thomas H. Kean ’53 Fellowship
Lila Cass
Ian Cho
Katherine Crawford
Vaughn Kim
Matthew Lee
Hale Pulsifer
Sofia Tati
Alice Wang

Matthews Fund Grant
Caitlin Bould
Lyla Cass
Charlotte Han
Arin Kim
Anouk Shin
Aaron Zhou

Warren Scholars Grant
Lily Apstein
Nina Hurley
Matthew Lee
Malachi Robinson
Louise Sheehan
Abby Stone
Ellie Tesoro
Annabel Zaterka
Flora Zhu

Through his Thomas H. Kean ’53 fellowship award, Ian Cho ’26 successfully founded an interschool student organization called SAIL (Student AI Literacy) and hosted the first interschool student symposium on AI literacy in April. The event featured a keynote presentation from Nate Green, director of academic technology at Sidwell Friends School. Student members of SAIL also had the opportunity to present on a topic related to AI that they are interested in. After the online component of the symposium, students actively participated in a four-corners activity, discussing the question, “To what extent does this use of AI enhance learning?”

Green says, “Ian Cho's work to establish SAIL represents a visionary first step toward connecting students across schools around the topic of AI literacy. As AI applications become ubiquitous, it's imperative that schools include and empower student voices in these conversations.”

"I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this symposium happen, including Dr. Maureen Russo, my faculty mentor, Mr. Green, our keynote speaker, the SAIL members, the students who participated actively in the event, and the Kean Fellowship for funding the event."

St. Mark’s thanks all of the generous donors who support our students through these grants. Congratulations to Ian and all of our 2024-2025 grant recipients!

Photo by Kenny MacBain