The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship is a prestigious fellowship awarded to only 40 recent college graduates each year. Fellows conceive and execute self-proposed projects for twelve-months outside of the United States.
Qualities sought in the selection of fellows include leadership, imagination, emotional maturity, courage, integrity, resourcefulness, and responsibility.
My project focused on leadership (specifically female leadership) in the restaurant industry and how chefs can be drivers of change outside of the restaurant itself. From July 2018 to August 2019 I traveled to Ireland, Morocco, New Zealand, and Peru working in each country with world renowned chefs and culinary organizations such as Monique Fiso (Hiakai) and Mil Centro (restaurant and research lab of Virgilio Martinez). For sporadic thoughts and reflections throughout the year, please visit my blog, http://watson.sierraponthier.com.
Davidson College Press Release: https://www.davidson.edu/news/news-stories/180315-sierra-ponthier-18-will-get-a-taste-of-the-world-through-watson-fellowship