Rachael Finke '26 is the second Bryn Mawr student ever to be awarded a prestigious James C. Gaither Fellowship from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Finke is one of only 18 students nationwide chosen for the fellowship.
Starting in September, Finke, who double-majored and is receiving a bachelor's in political science and a master's in French, will work at the organization's D.C. headquarters, providing research assistance to Carnegie scholars and helping with communication strategy and implementation for the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program.
"Many of my research interests closely align with work that scholars in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program are doing," says Finke. "So I'm really looking forward to getting to support their research and learn from them."
At Bryn Mawr, Finke worked as a research assistant for Assistant Professor of Political Science Aytuğ Şaşmaz, who was also her thesis advisor, helping him with a project focused on the histories of political parties and systems, particularly in the Middle East.
"Rachael stands out as one of the most exceptional students I have ever taught at Bryn Mawr College," says Şaşmaz. "She’s a brilliant potential scholar, a talented researcher, a gifted writer, and, most importantly, a person of deep integrity and intercultural sensitivity."
Finke’s thesis, entitled "Secular Jews, Religious Extremists: Analyzing the Membership of the Pro-Settlement Political Bloc in Israel," explored the political, social, and religious concerns motivating Israelis who supported the expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank.
In addition to her research and classes, Finke has been highly involved with Bryn Mawr's Hillel student group, was vice president of the Bryn Mawr Democrats Club her junior year, was a major representative and teaching assistant for the French department, and has helped her fellow Mawrters at the writing center since her sophomore year. During her senior year, she also worked remotely as an intern in applied scholarly research for the Shalom Hartman Institute.
While Finke will remain in a scholarly environment, there are elements of the Bryn Mawr experience she will miss.
“I'm definitely going to miss being in classrooms with students and professors that I admire and getting to dive into a text or explore an issue from all sides,” she says.
Finke hasn’t yet settled on a plan for after her fellowship, but she's interested in government work or may continue her studies in graduate school.
"For me, right now," she says, "a think tank is an ideal place to be, because it bridges scholarship and practice in a way that going straight into graduate school, or going into a nonprofit or government work wouldn't."
Look for more coverage of members of the Class of 2026 leading up to Bryn Mawr’s undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16.
