Evan Cole (C’26), a double major in government and economics with a minor in Black studies, has been awarded two summer fellowships from organizations which foster research and career opportunities for college students. Cole is the first Georgetown student to participate in the Institute for Responsible Citizenship’s Washington Program, which selects 12 talented African American male college students each year to spend two consecutive summers in Washington, DC. Participants engage in academic and career opportunities as well as social activities. This summer, Cole will be participating in an internship with Brown Advisory, an investment management and strategic advisory firm.
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The Institute for Responsible Citizenship was established to give African American male college students “the kind of support that many others in our society take for granted,” says William A. Keyes IV, the organization’s founder and president, in a 2023 press release. “We provide exposure to opportunities, valuable internship experiences, and introductions to people who can support them on their journey to achieve extraordinary success for reasons that are bigger than themselves.”
Research opportunities
Cole was also named a Laidlaw Scholar, which will allow him to research capital investment in Black communities and combine his interdisciplinary interests in economics, public policy, and Black studies. Run by Georgetown’s Center for Research and Fellowship and the Laidlaw Foundation, the Laidlaw Undergraduate Leadership and Research Scholarship Programme also provides participants with a stipend of up to $3,900
“Choosing this program was a deliberate decision to prioritize my growth in settings that not only challenge but also expand my understanding of the world around me,” said Cole. “This opportunity allows me to engage with a talented group of thought leaders and change-makers, deepening my insights into how various fields intersect and influence societal progress.”
Finding inspiration in Georgetown’s classes
Cole’s interdisciplinary interests were born out of a Georgetown course, Critical Southern Studies, led by professor Zandria Felice Robinson and Department of Black Studies chair LaMonda Horton-Stallings.
“That was the one that changed it for me,” remembered Cole. “I sat in that class and had several moments of introspection. I realized that this is what I enjoy doing: I love writing, I love literature, and I love reading.”
The course asked students to explore interdisciplinary methods of Black studies through examining media, including reading works by James Baldwin and watching the comedy-drama television series Atlanta, created by writer, actor, and singer Donald Glover. Engaging in those texts and learning more about Glover’s multifaceted career helped Cole see his diverse interests as part of Georgetown’s care for the whole person.
“I always tell my friends, and this is so corny, but cura personalis is so real,” said Cole. “I came here with a one-track mind but I started to develop all of these different parts of myself.”
Read more about Evan Cole (C’26) and his dual fellowships.