Alumni Interviews by Anjali Dhupam
Every year, Huntsman alums around the globe pursue post-graduate fellowships through the Rhodes Scholarship, Fulbright Scholarship, Thouron Scholarship, Schwarzman Scholarship, Congress Bundestag Youth Fellowship, and more. We spoke with three Huntsman graduates who took on these incredible opportunities: Becca Bean (Fulbright, Mexico), Atul Joshi (Fulbright, Mexico), and Joyce Meng (Rhodes, Oxford) to understand their motivations to apply and how Huntsman helped them get there.
Atul Joshi (Huntsman ‘03, Spanish) is CEO of Raga Partners and serves on the Huntsman Program Advisory Board. He concentrated in Finance & Management in Wharton and South Asia Studies & Spanish in the College.
Joyce Meng (Huntsman ‘08, Spanish) is the Founder of FACT Capital and CEO & Co-Founder of the non-profit Givology. She concentrated in Finance in Wharton with minors in Mathematics & Spanish.
Becca Bean (Huntsman ‘21, Spanish) is the Deputy Chief of Staff at MGT. She concentrated in Management & Social Impact in Wharton with minors in Spanish & Urban Studies.
One reason these alumni found immense value in their fellowships was the opportunity to immerse themselves in another country’s professional ecosystem but also in its everyday life.
Becca Bean: “I worked for Endeavor, a global entrepreneurship organization…they have a unique network of really amazing startups in emerging economies. In Mexico, they are innovating and contributing to its economy. I loved being a part of that ecosystem in Mexico and that Fulbright gave me that chance.”
For Atul, who also applied to the Binational Business Program in Mexico, Fulbright was a natural next step to explore international business:
Atul Joshi: “My senior year, I received the Fulbright scholarship to study in Mexico through the Binational Business Program… The program itself involves taking nighttime business classes at a university in Mexico City and then spending the day doing an internship. I was there for about a year. During the first half, I worked at a bank and helped underwrite loans to corporate borrowers, including Mexico-based conglomerates and subsidiaries of multinational corporations. In the second half, I went to the opposite end of the spectrum. Working at Endeavor, which helps entrepreneurs access capital and support to build their businesses across the world, I got to interact with Mexico-based startup founders and help them access capital and know-how in order to scale.”
Meanwhile, Joyce, who received the Rhodes Scholarship, echoed the same desire to see new perspectives and learning environments:
Joyce Meng: “Oxford was an incredible experience. I valued how different the system was from the US. It was more self-study, essays, tutorials, and one-on-ones with professors. You had to write and do original research. I loved the traditions, the Harry Potter–style environment with different colleges.”
Atul notes that one key Huntsman connection brought the opportunity to his attention:
Atul Joshi: “My motivations were driven by lifelong interests in travel, history and language, with the added bonus of getting to know people from different walks of life. Those interests were definitely nourished while I was at Penn and Huntsman … As a Junior, in a serendipitous moment, I was on a bus ride for a Huntsman Student Advisory Board-sponsored ski trip to the Poconos, sitting next to Maribeth Gainard, a Huntsman Senior (and now fellow board member) who had recently been granted a Fulbright scholarship. That was really the conversation that lit the spark for me to look into applying in more detail, luckily with enough lead time to do so. I took advantage of the newly created CURF.”
CURF, or the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships at Penn, is the primary resource for students seeking guidance and support in applying for fellowships, research opportunities, and other academic grants. CURF helps students navigate the entire application process from start to finish, from brainstorming ideas to refining final submissions. Huntsman students can engage with CURF through one-on-one advising sessions, workshops, and access to a wide range of fellowships and funding opportunities. Whether you are interested in research, international study, or public service, CURF is a fantastic resource with the expertise to help you secure the right opportunity.
For Joyce, pursuing Rhodes after undergrad was fueled by the desire to put learning into action:
Joyce Meng: “I feel like as an undergraduate, you learn the canon, but in graduate school, you develop the canon. Instead of just ingesting research, you do research. I did a lot of research at Penn… I wanted to do more, so I applied to the Rhodes scholarship. It also had an incredible alumni network and there was flexibility in going to different programs.”
On their professional experiences, they each discussed the unique projects they focused on which were all rooted in their passions for international business and global impact.
Atul Joshi: “Unlike many other Fulbright scholarships that tend to be quite open-ended in terms of their field of study and the research involved, this one was inspired by a mission to build more ties between the U.S. and Mexico from a commerce standpoint.”
Becca Bean: “My team exists at Endeavor to understand what’s happening in the entrepreneurial ecosystem: the landscape, different trends, and what insights entrepreneurs need to know… I really liked my role because I applied the consulting skillset I had developed pre-Fulbright and then had the opportunity to own engagements from start to finish. I got to think about what Endeavor should say about, for example, AI in Mexico and Latin America. Everybody’s talking about this, so what can we say that’s unique? How can we add value?”
And at Oxford, Joyce’s research took a more quantitative approach:
Joyce Meng: “My first master’s degree was Economics for Development, all about the economics of market failure. It applies to what I do today, since many of my investments are in emerging markets. Studying those econometric models was really helpful. My main thesis was an evaluation of the impact of aspirations on outcome attainment. It’s a tough econometric problem because it’s easy to measure hard inputs like income, but not aspirations. I got to challenge the research and contribute in a real way, more than in undergrad. The second degree I did was Financial Economics. It was a lot of quantitative work. I’ve always loved math, and having a quantitative background is always helpful.”
Each alum was able to sharpen both their professional and interpersonal abilities and, on the skills that are most applicable to their current work, they discuss:
Becca Bean: “It’s very important to be adaptable. So, walking into a new situation, assessing it, and understanding what’s going on and then understanding how you need to react to it. It’s important to not sweat small stuff or something not going how you thought it would… Getting comfortable being uncomfortable—I think that really helped.”
Atul Joshi: “Number one, communication: find a way to connect with people of different backgrounds and language proficiencies, which forced me to up my game in Spanish (including Mexican slang) and non-verbal communications. Number two, building relationships by asking lots of questions and finding shared interests. Number three, empathy and awareness just by virtue of living somewhere else and experiencing a different culture.”
Joyce Meng: “If I break it down academically first, there were two things. One, having that math intensity is always helpful. Two, Oxford’s system of essays and tutorials teaches you to learn how to learn. Third, the network was incredible. I’m on the board of the American Association of Rhodes Scholars, and you meet amazing people across different fields. Everyone helps each other.”
To any Huntsman student wondering if they should apply, our alumni say go for it:
Becca Bean: “Sit back and think about what you want to get out of it and make that as cohesive and concrete as possible. Then, start putting pen to paper about that. That’s the best way to really work on the application for this. Refining those stories takes a lot of time and care, but it’s super worth it.”
Atul Joshi: “I would say to practice ‘disciplined curiosity,’ and to indulge in your interests and your passions. Take advantage of the research and other opportunities that are funded through different sources: they can really shape your character, your interests, and your purpose.”
Joyce Meng:“I really think it’s life-changing. You should apply. The main thing is to know who you are and have depth in a few areas rather than doing many things superficially…there’s a big emphasis on “fighting the world’s fight.” That can mean many things (nonprofits, research, corporations) but find where you can truly contribute. Life is short, and it’s worth spending time on meaningful impact.”
The experiences shared here show how impactful a fellowship can be. More than anything, they demonstrate how Huntsman prepared them to go beyond just earning two degrees and truly engage with the world. From creating AI-focused reports in Mexico to immersing themselves in Oxford’s centuries-old traditions, their experiences speak to just how far opportunities beyond Huntsman can take you. If you are a student interested in post-graduate fellowships, make sure to visit CURF for more information!
