MENTOR, OHIO — Each year, Rustic Pathways awards the Global Perspectives Scholarship to a high school or college student attending an accredited institution. The $1,000 scholarship must be used toward tuition and/or books. Since 2013, Rustic Pathways has committed $3.6 million in scholarships and financial aid to students around the world.
Below, meet the Global Perspectives Scholarship recipients from 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.
2025 Winner: Ethan Poon
Applicants for the 2025 scholarship responded to the prompt: “Teen summer opportunities vary widely. Some teens work during the summer. Some teens head off to summer camp. Some teens enjoy summer travel. What is the most meaningful summer experience you have had, and why?”
Rustic Pathways is proud to announce Ethan Poon as the 2025 Global Perspectives Scholarship winner.
As a Computer Engineering student, my head is usually buried in programming problems. I often think about how to make systems faster and more efficient, but winning this scholarship has truly shifted my “perspective.” It’s a powerful reminder that the most important systems are the cultural and human connections that we share. I’m incredibly grateful to Rustic Pathways for this support. It fuels my commitment to build technology that acts as a bridge for global inclusivity and service, ensuring that as our world gets faster, it also gets more connected and equal.
About Ethan
Ethan Poon is a freshman at the Rutgers Honors College studying Computer Engineering. He is driven by the belief that technology is only as powerful as the communities it serves. His experience spans multiple prestigious institutions: developing geospatial ML workflows at NASA, conducting AI research to detect respiratory conditions at Stanford, and researching multilingual NLP datasets at Johns Hopkins.
Beyond his technical work, Ethan is the founder of Revvifi, an international nonprofit that has empowered hundreds of small businesses and nonprofits through digital consulting. Whether benchmarking embedded systems or contributing to the Rutgers Poetry Circle, Ethan is committed to building a future where technical innovation and global empathy go hand in hand.
2024 Winner: Ritu Belani
Applicants for the 2024 scholarship responded to the prompt: “Teen summer opportunities vary widely. Some teens work during the summer, some head off to summer camp, and others enjoy travel. What is the most meaningful summer experience you have had, and why?”
The 2024 Global Perspectives Scholarship was awarded to Ritu Belani, a freshman at Stanford University.
“‘Global Perspectives’ is the perfect title for this scholarship because it encapsulates my passion for exploring diverse cultures and understanding the interconnectedness of our world,” said scholarship winner, Ritu Belani. “At Stanford, I’m pursuing Chicano/Latino Studies and Islamic Studies. This scholarship is more than just financial support—it’s a validation of my commitment to justice and community-building. I’m deeply grateful to Rustic Pathways for supporting my aspirations to conduct meaningful research and connect with people from all walks of life through my comedy and activism.”
Ritu is a freshman at Stanford University by day and a stand-up comedian by night. She has toured across three cities globally performing her solo headliner show, and her favorite show is an open mic that she organized at her local mosque called Hahahalal. Ritu’s interests include Spanish, Arabic, and community-engaged scholarship, and her research has been published in the Association of Computational Linguistics. Her work can be found on her social media channel @RituDoesComedy.
2022 Winners
Announced September 19, 2022. Recipients were awarded scholarship funds for the fall 2022/spring 2023 academic semesters. Applicants responded to the prompt: “What kind of global impact project is most critical for you to focus on and why, and what is your plan to make that impact in the next year and beyond?”
Grand Prize Winner: London Allen
“I am London Allen, a writer and undergraduate student at the University of Baltimore. I’m passionate about humanitarian issues and currently working as editorial manager for Necessary Behavior, a social change organization.
In my free time, I am a member of the Women of Color Student Association. I am passionate about the organization which is committed to giving a voice to all women of color and strengthening collective voices by shedding light on the issues impacting historically underrepresented communities. I am excited to continue working towards my degree in English and advocating for myself as well as others who are part of marginalized groups.
I am ecstatic to receive this scholarship from Rustic Pathways. It will allow me to stress less financially and spend more time focusing on my global project and educational goals.
As I continue working on my global project of reducing food waste and working toward a career in the non-profit sector, I am grateful to know organizations like Rustic Pathways exist and support my work. Thank you so much to Rustic Pathways for doing work that assists students and extending that work to positively impact my life!”
Winner: Mihir Gokhale
“My name is Mihir Gokhale, and I’m currently a freshman at The University of Texas at Austin. I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration and also am an aspiring finance major seeking to join the corporate law sector. I’m very interested in exploring the intersection between business, current events, and global affairs. In my spare time, I enjoy playing table tennis, sampling new foods, and volunteering in my local community.
I’m beyond honored and grateful to receive the 2022 Rustic Pathways’ Global Perspectives Scholarship. This award will allow me to further enhance my education at The University of Texas at Austin.
Furthermore, this scholarship will fuel my passion to eventually join the corporate law sector. I want to thank Rustic Pathways for providing young people like me with the opportunity to fulfill their dreams in spite of various financial obstacles. I’m glad that Rustic Pathways’ steadfast dedication to this cause will continue to positively impact future students.”
Winner: Janet Ruan
“I am Janet Ruan, a current freshman who is studying biology at the University of Maryland. Growing up in a greatly diverse area, I quickly learned to love and acknowledge the importance of a strong community. At the beginning of the pandemic, my sister and I co-founded Romans 12:10 with the aim to combat loneliness and connect senior citizens with their communities. My organization now serves as a bridge between volunteers and senior centers around the world.
I’m excited to further explore my passions in biotechnology, especially as I have witnessed the potential ability of technology to bring communities together.
I’m so grateful and incredibly honored to be a recipient of the Global Perspectives Scholarship. As a current full-time student, with an older sister also a full-time student, this relieves a lot of financial pressure from my family. Thank you so much to Rustic Pathways for all you do, your generosity, and for helping support me as I continue my undergraduate education at the University of Maryland.”
2021 Winners
Announced October 30, 2020 for the 2021 academic year. Applicants responded to the prompt: “What kind of global impact project is most critical for you to focus on and why, and what is your plan to make that impact in the next year and beyond?” The grand prize winner received $1,000; two second-place winners received $250 each.
Grand Prize Winner ($1,000): Sarah Ahmed
Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School | Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Sarah Ahmed is an accomplished illustrator, innovator, and community mobilizer. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Sarah is the co-founder of Muslim Artists for Justice, a non-profit organization that inspires young Muslim artists to share their opinions and bring awareness to social issues that affect the Muslim community. She is also a member of Bow Seat’s Future Blue Youth Council, where she works towards environmental justice by encouraging youth to use art as activism.
In June 2021, Sarah graduated from Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School as a Schulich Nominee and will be studying Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo this upcoming fall. She is excited to enrich her passion for design and innovation, and explore further opportunities to grow, challenge herself, and create a difference.
Excerpt from Sarah’s essay submission:
“Growing up suffering from discrimination because of my identity as a Muslim woman made me understand the importance of safe spaces devoid of discrimination, prejudice, and racism. Given the alarming amount of Muslim youth across the globe facing similar struggles, I dedicated myself to creating an environment where Muslim youth could feel safe, valued, and heard.
In December 2020, I created Muslim Artists for Justice (MAJ), a youth-led initiative where Muslim artists can share their opinions and bring awareness to social issues that affect our community. By highlighting a different social issue every month, we give Muslim youth the opportunity to submit artwork along with reflections to elevate their voices.
Attempting to eradicate problems in my community has enhanced my ability to tackle issues I am passionate about, allowing me to develop into a community leader and building my courage to work fearlessly towards the betterment of our society. I have become increasingly devoted towards generating action against social issues that impact the Muslim community and other minority groups.”
Second Place ($250): Leo Corral
White Bear Lake South Campus | Cottage Grove, MN, United States
In place of wasting water in a grass lawn at his home, Leo has created a vegetable garden. He plans to participate in local government and find more innovative ways to use water. Leo will major in Environmental Science with a Latin American Emphasis, and use his skills to teach others how to manage and preserve natural resources.
Second Place ($250): Anish Patel
Woodbridge High School | Irvine, CA, United States
Anish is focused on environmental activism. He has proposed reducing plastic waste in lunchrooms to the California State Board of Education and has discovered a novel method for the efficient removal of heavy metals from polluted water. Anish is currently writing a book on global climate change and will enter college as an Environmental Science major. He plans to pursue founding a community-based recycling organization as his next project!
About the Global Perspectives Scholarship
The Global Perspectives Scholarship is open to high school and college students attending an accredited institution. To apply, students submit a 500-word essay responding to a designated prompt. Awards are selected based on the quality of the submission.
About Rustic Pathways
Founded in 1983, Rustic Pathways is a student travel company offering student travel, school group travel, and study abroad programs. Through purposeful design, Rustic Pathways creates culturally immersive programs for students ages 14 to 18. The company develops globally minded, self-aware students who can identify their interests and passions, gain confidence, grow as individuals, and create positive impact at a local and global level.
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