Jessica Hong ’20, Henley Schulz ’22 and Andrew Talone ’24 are members of the 2024-25 cohort of Schwarzman Scholars, an international program that nurtures a network of future global leaders.

This year’s group of 150 scholars represents 43 countries and 114 universities. They were selected from a pool of more than 4,000 applicants based on their leadership qualities and strength of character, and their potential to address pressing global issues and deepen cross-cultural connections.

In August 2024, the scholars will attend Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing for a one-year master’s program in global affairs.

Hong is a product manager at Recidiviz, a criminal justice technology nonprofit, where she works on a nationwide data transparency initiative to promote data-driven policy decisions. Previously, she was a product manager at Google, building monetization tools for web publishers, which reached millions of people.

Hong received her bachelor’s degree in computer science, with a minor in mathematics, from the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Through the Schwarzman program, she will study the successful adoption of cutting-edge technologies within China’s public and private sectors, and apply what she learns to developing civic technology that promotes accessibility and equity.

Schulz works as an analyst on the Rapid Aerospace and Defense Analytics and Reporting (RADAR) team at McKinsey & Company in Denver. She serves numerous aerospace and defense clients on market sizing and strategy projects.

Schulz, who received her bachelor’s degree in government, with a minor in China and Asia Pacific studies (A&S), previously interned for the U.S. Department of State and on Capitol Hill. She hopes to pursue a career in U.S.-China policy to help shape the future of U.S.-China relations and increase cultural understanding.

Talone, who studies government, information science and foreign languages (A&S), is passionate about the intersection of diversity, equity and governance. He has applied this focus to his work with local New York and Pennsylvania elections, nonprofit lobbying in Mexico for LGBTQ+ rights, and business-legal research at Sullivan & Cromwell.

As a Schwarzman Scholar, Talone hopes to learn more about leadership in multilateral diplomacy and the global corporate landscape while strengthening cross-cultural understanding.

The Schwarzman Scholars program supports up to 200 scholars annually from across the globe for a one-year master’s in global affairs at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. Scholars chosen for this program live in Beijing for one year of study and cultural immersion – attending lectures, traveling around the region and developing a better understanding of China.

Established in 2015, the Schwarzman Scholars program is designed to prepare its graduates to build stronger relationships between China and a rapidly changing world, and to address the pressing global challenges of the 21st century. The core curriculum is taught by international faculty and focuses on China, global affairs and leadership.

Cornell has had 15 Schwarzman Scholars since the program’s first class in 2016-17.