Meet the 2025 Clark and Hinman Foundation Fellows
The Office of Fellowships is excited to announce that Eleanor Bergstein (WCAS ’27) and Ethan Abisellan (WCAS ’28) have been selected as the 2025 Clark and Hinman Foundation fellows! Since 2007, the Clark and Hinman Foundation has offered scholarships to support summer activities for academically excellent applicants committed to the principles of civil society. Fellows are characterized by their dedication to public service, civil rights, leadership, and positively impacting the world.
Eleanor Bergstein is a rising junior majoring in history and international studies, with a minor in psychology. Outside of class, Eleanor volunteers with Books & Breakfast in the Evanston Public Schools; writes and edits for 
the student-run magazine North by Northwestern; and plays for Northwestern’s Women’s Club Soccer team. Eleanor also serves as a research assistant to Associate Professor Caitlin Fitz through the Leopold Fellowship. Her interest in civil service began in high school when she volunteered with elementary students in the Greater Boston area and taught English classes to adult immigrants. This summer, she will use the fellowship for her work in the Massachusetts State Senate in the office of the majority leader.
Eleanor shared the following reflection with us upon winning the award:
“I am honored to receive the Clark and Hinman Foundation Fellowship. The support and recognition from the award allows me to dedicate my summer to an internship in the Massachusetts State Senate. I am conducting policy research, learning about the inner workings of state government, and forming connections with people who have a shared commitment to public service.”
Ethan Abisellan is a rising sophomore majoring in political science and legal studies, with a minor in philosophy. Growing up in a Foreign Service family, Ethan has previously worked at US Embassies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 
and Managua, Nicaragua. Thanks to these experiences, Ethan plans to pursue a career in law and foreign policy, with a particular interest in international trade and development. Ethan is also serving as a research assistant for Edna B. and Ednyfed H. Williams Memorial Professor of Law Emily Kadens through the Leopold Fellowship. With support from the Clark and Hinman Foundation Fellowship, Ethan will intern at the United States Senate this summer. In this role, he will grow his experience in government, serve constituents, and work on legislative areas that track the economy, banking, foreign policy, and more.
Ethan had this to say about the value of the award:
“It is an honor to have been granted the Clark and Hinman Foundation Fellowship. Growing up in the Foreign Service, I have always been passionate about public policy and working in government. My internship at the US Senate will be a formative experience for my career and future aspirations, and I thank the Clark and Hinman Foundation for making it a reality.”
Eleanor and Ethan are the thirty-first and thirty-second recipients of this fellowship.
Contact Jason Kelly Roberts at jason-roberts@northwestern.edu to learn more about the Clark and Hinman Foundation Fellowship.