Ardaschir Arguelles will read the MPhil in Traditional East Asia at Queen’s College, University of Oxford. Born in South Korea, Ardaschir grew up in Lebanon, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. He graduated from Columbia University summa cum laude in 2024 with a double major in Classics and East Asian Studies. His academic interests include translation theory; the transmission of religious texts along the Silk Road; the spread of Buddhism into East Asia; Christian missions to Asia; and the relationship between religion and literary imagination. While at Columbia, Ardaschir was a student leader at Columbia Christian Union Lumine, served as podcast host and director for the Columbia Witness, and played for the men’s club rugby team. Outside of academics, his main pursuit is creative writing, especially short fiction and travel writing.

Trent Bunker will read the MPhil in Intellectual History at Queen’s College, University of Oxford. He will graduate from Tufts University with a BA in Political Science and History, where his research has centered on the interplay between faith, politics, and the law. Trent founded the Tufts Tribune, a publication dedicated to publishing diverse perspectives, and established a Federalist Society chapter on campus, hosting dialogues between academics and students alike. Outside of class, Trent has held a fellowship with the Hertog Foundation, interned on Capitol Hill, and conducted research for multiple law firms. After completing his MPhil, Trent will attend Harvard Law School. In his free time, he enjoys playing lacrosse, weightlifting, and studying French and Spanish. 

Sarah Chew will read the MSt in Theology (Science and Religion) at the University of Oxford. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, she received her BA in English Literature and Philosophy from Samford University, where she studied in the University Fellows honors program and served as a student ambassador. As an undergraduate, she has published articles about education, philosophy, and the liberal arts for online public journals and her campus literary journal. She has also held fellowships with the Hertog Foundation and the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy, through which she studied Soviet Russian literary censorship and received the prize for best scholarship. Her undergraduate thesis examined Iris Murdoch’s normative concept of attention in the context of new media. She plans to study the intersection of technology, ethics, and religion while at Oxford.

Samuel Clark will read the MPhil in History (Intellectual History) at the University of Oxford. Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, he studied the liberal arts at Deep Springs College, a small, two-year college located on a cattle ranch in the Californian desert. He then graduated from Brown University Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in Philosophy and Political Science. After graduating, he taught English to primary and middle school students in France and to high school students in Wisconsin. At Oxford, he plans to investigate the relationship between Thomas More and continental writers like Desiderius Erasmus and Niccolo Machiavelli. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, and the poetry of Edmund Spenser.

Olivia Glunz will read the MPhil in History (Intellectual History) or Theology at the University of Oxford. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Olivia is a senior at Harvard studying History and Classics. Her thesis explores the transformative role of language in the mystical theology of Dionysius the Areopagite, John Scotus Eriugena, and Hugh of St Victor; she hopes to expand on this work during her graduate studies and in her future career as an intellectual historian. At Harvard, Olivia was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and awarded the John Harvard Scholarship. She also served as President of Harvard Right to Life, as Managing Editor of the Harvard Salient, and as a Student Fellow with the Harvard Catholic Forum. An avid violinist and singer, she has especially enjoyed performing with the St Paul’s Schola and in a student-run chamber ensemble. Her other interests include writing, cake decorating, and spending time with friends and family.

Katherine Graddy will read the MSc in Development Economics or MPhil in Development Studies at Lincoln College, University of Oxford. She is graduating from Magdalen College, Oxford, with a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), where she was recognized as an Academic Demy Scholar and awarded the Weldon-Burchardt prize for PPE. Her undergraduate research explores the political economy of randomized controlled trials in international development, examining the effect of political competition on site selection bias in Kenya. During her undergraduate, she spent her summers in Serbia and Kenya researching nonviolent protests, volunteering at a WASH center for migrants, assisting HIV/AIDS programs, and contributing to behavioral science research on poverty alleviation. This summer, she will be working with the United Nations as an Economic Affairs intern in the Landlocked Developing Countries unit. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys hiking, frequenting local coffeeshops, and training with the university triathlon team.

Molly Graybill will read the MPhil in Theology (Christian Ethics) at the University of Oxford. Molly is graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a BA in both religious studies (with departmental honors) and psychology. Her honors thesis examines how the psychologist Henry A. Murray developed a new religion, called synthesism, to respond to the psychic and political tensions of the second world war. At Oxford, Molly is excited to explore how theological teachings can inform healthcare systems’ ability to support the dignity of dying individuals. In her free time, Molly enjoys dancing, cafe hopping, and reading J.D. Salinger’s short stories. 

Helen Halliwell will read the MSt in English (1700-1830) at Mansfield College, University of Oxford. She graduated with a BA in English from University of California, Berkeley, receiving the Departmental Citation. She is interested in thinking about attention to and within natural spaces in 18th/19th century British Poetry. Her undergraduate thesis focused on John Clare’s educative poetry of attention and the cultivation of community and belonging. After graduating, she worked as a Reader for the UC Berkeley English department, as well as an administrative assistant for the Berkeley Institute. At Oxford, she hopes to continue to explore concepts of perception and nature in 19th century England and its effects in the compositional processes of poetry. In her free time she enjoys singing, swimming, and exploring museums. 

Felicity Klingele will read the BPhil in Philosophy at Pembroke College, University of Oxford. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Psychology and Philosophy (with departmental honors). During her undergraduate career, she founded the Madison Philosophical Society, a space to explore ethical, metaphysical, and epistemic questions; the St. Dymphna Society, a women’s mental health support group; and Siena Scholars, a women’s philosophy and theology group. She was a fellow for both the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy and the Madison College Writing Center. Felicity’s passion for ethics led her to serve on the UW-Madison Police Advisory Board and the Diocesan Board for the Office of Human Life and Dignity. At Oxford, she plans to explore the relationship between the philosophy of education and virtue ethics, along with the interplay of artificial intelligence and human flourishing. She is currently serving as a live-in volunteer at Casa Juan Diego, a Catholic Worker House in Houston, TX. Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys hiking, reading, and ballroom dancing.

Katherine LaReau will read the MSc in Energy Systems at the University of Oxford. Hailing from Carmel, Indiana, Katherine will graduate with honors from the United States Military Academy in May with a degree in Chemical Engineering. At West Point, Katherine was elected President of the Class of 2025 and serves as a battalion commander. A Stamps Scholar, her research in the lab focused on developing next generation, high-performance composite nano-electrodes for energy storage applications in the Army, culminating in a publication in the Surfaces and Interfaces journal. She furthered her interest in energy and policymaking as an intern at the Pentagon in the Army Office of Installations, Energy, and Environment. Her interests outside of academics include singing as a member of the West Point Glee Club, traveling and learning about other cultures, growing in her Catholic faith, and spending time with her family and friends.

Osamede Ogbomo will read the MPhil in Politics (Political Theory) at the University of Oxford. She is a senior at Princeton University, where her undergraduate thesis examines the biblical narrative of King David and explores how conceptions of the divine or transcendent can constrain—or fail to constrain—the ambitions of statesmen. At Oxford, she plans to build on this work, drawing on Aristotle’s concept of magnanimity to address contemporary political questions surrounding egalitarian ideals and the hierarchical implications of exceptional leadership. In her free time, she enjoys playing and teaching piano, debating politics and philosophy, and singing at her local church.

Matthew Stanco will read the MPhil in Economic and Social History at the University of Oxford. A senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, he will be graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). While at UMD, Matthew founded the PPE Society and a chapter of the Federalist Society. He also served as President of the Moot Court Team. Matthew has worked in both State and Federal Government, including as a law clerk for the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in the United States Senate. At Oxford, he hopes to examine what leads to societal development, with a particular focus on how legal structures incentivize economic growth. In his free time, Matthew enjoys long-distance biking, waterskiing, and Shakespeare plays.

Matthew Tweden will read the MPhil in International Relations at the University of Oxford. He is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in public policy and peace, war, and defense. As a Robertson Scholar, he also studied political science at Duke University. Matthew’s undergraduate thesis examined the development of presidential regulatory authorities and modeled approaches to regulatory governance across recent administrations. At Oxford, he plans to study the modern diplomatic history of the Melanesian islands, analyzing national security decision making in the context of growing great power competition. At UNC, Matthew served as Speaker of the Undergraduate Senate and was involved in multiple policy-related student organizations. He has previously worked at think tanks, nonprofit organizations, and in the private sector focusing on national security and financial regulation. 

Matthew X. Wilson will read the MPhil in Politics: Political Theory at Wadham College, University of Oxford. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 2024 with an A.B. in Politics and certificates in Medieval Studies and Hellenic Studies. His academic interests include public reason, political morality, and the public justifiability of political arguments. At Princeton, he was awarded the Stephen Whelan ’68 Senior Thesis Prize for Excellence in Constitutional Law and Political Thought for his thesis on liberal theories of public justification. He currently works as deputy editor of Public Discourse and as research assistant to a professor at Princeton. After completing the MPhil, he hopes to pursue a doctorate in politics.