Cerritos Native Earns Prestigious International Appointment
Amara Anigbo Named Schwarzman Scholar, Will Join One of the Most Competitive International Graduate Programs
Contact: media@dickinson.edu; pressroom@schwarzmanscholars.org
CARLISLE, Pa. (January 15, 2025) – Cerritos native and graduate of Cerritos High School Amara Anigbo, currently a product manager at Google, has been named a Schwarzman Scholar, joining an elite group of 150 students admitted to one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowship programs. Anigbo is among exceptional young leaders from 38 countries and 105 colleges and universities selected for the program’s tenth cohort.
The Schwarzman Scholars program offers a fully funded master’s degree in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Scholars are selected through a rigorously competitive application process designed to identify leadership potential, intellect and strength of character. Designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars continues to be one of the most selective graduate fellowships in the world.
Anigbo, who graduated from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania in 2020 with a degree in computer science, has a background as a product manager at Google and Microsoft, focused on communication platforms like Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. At Dickinson, Anigbo started the Inclusivity in STEM group on campus, earned several prestigious scholarships, including the Jeff Ubben Posse Fellowship, where she interned and was mentored by Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella. Anigbo also studied abroad at the Dickinson in England program at the University of East Anglia.
As a Schwarzman Scholar, she will study global affairs with a focus on China’s expanding influence in Africa, particularly in the development of technology infrastructure, and its implications for other emerging economies worldwide. She aims to analyze how China’s investments and partnerships are reshaping digital and physical landscapes, assessing their long-term impact on economic growth and global integration.
“I am deeply honored to be selected as a Schwarzman Scholar and to represent Dickinson College on this global stage,” said Anigbo. “Dickinson’s emphasis on international leadership and global engagement, along with my experiences founding the Inclusivity in STEM group, have been instrumental in shaping my vision for a more equitable world. As a Schwarzman Scholar, I look forward to exploring China’s evolving role on the African continent and fostering global partnerships that address critical infrastructure and technological gaps. I am excited to join a community of changemakers committed to navigating the challenges of our interconnected world.”
After graduation from the Schwarzman Scholars program, Anigbo plans to leverage her experience to work on expanding telecommunications and technology infrastructure in Africa, bridging critical gaps that hinder development and innovation. “My goal is to foster global partnerships that drive sustainable growth and create opportunities for communities historically excluded from the digital economy,” she said.
This year’s Schwarzman Scholars applicant pool broke records, underscoring the growing interest among young leaders in understanding China and fostering global collaboration. With the incoming class, the Schwarzman Scholars network now includes over 1,300 members from 104 countries and 459 institutions worldwide.
“Our tenth cohort fills me with optimism for the future,” said Stephen A. Schwarzman, Founding Trustee of Schwarzman Scholars. “This year’s selected Scholars are keenly interested in learning about China and broadening their understanding of global affairs, which are both now more important than ever.”
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About Schwarzman Scholars
Schwarzman Scholars is a one-year, fully funded master’s degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. An unparalleled learning experience, it is the first scholarship of its kind created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century and designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders.
Each year, up to 200 candidates from around the world are selected to join a diverse cohort. Schwarzman Scholars seeks candidates with leadership qualities and the potential to foster cross-cultural understanding. Scholars come from a wide variety of industries and backgrounds, such as business, technology, science, politics, healthcare, and more. Schwarzman Scholars’ dynamic curriculum-based on the pillars of China, leadership, and global affairs-is designed to provide Scholars with the knowledge, skills, and firsthand experience needed to navigate the complexities of the evolving global landscape. Through an immersive experience in China, Scholars spend a year living in Beijing, studying at the prestigious Tsinghua University under the guidance of leading academics and global thought leaders.
Schwarzman Scholars was established in 2013 by Founding Trustee Stephen A. Schwarzman. Inspired by his vision, Schwarzman Scholars aspire to create a global network of leaders who will shape the future.
About Dickinson College
Dickinson is a nationally recognized institution chartered in 1783 in Carlisle, Pa. Our distinctive educational approach translates into a competitive edge-95% of graduates are in a job, internship, graduate school or pursuing meaningful service within one year. With an enrollment of 2,100 students, Dickinson emphasizes small classes with extensive opportunities for research, fieldwork and internships in each of our 46 majors. Innovative programs range from neuroscience to data analytics to security studies, and Dickinson’s decidedly global curriculum includes 13 languages and a variety of globally oriented courses. Dickinson has one of the top off-campus study programs in the nation and was one of the first colleges in the country to achieve carbon neutrality. www.dickinson.edu
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