Colgate University alum Jonathan Eaton ’24 became the first Colgate student ever to receive the Schwarzman Scholarship, a program that fully funds master’s-level study at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. The scholarship, affiliated with Tsinghua’s Schwarzman College, is designed to build a community of future leaders who will respond to the modern world’s geopolitical landscape.
Schwarzman College was founded in 2016 by Stephen A. Schwarzman, the CEO and co-founder of Blackstone. After working in China, Schwarzman wanted to create a program that would give students an in-depth experience with Chinese culture they could carry with them throughout their careers.
Eaton is from Bethel, C.T. and graduated from Colgate with a degree in international relations and Asian studies. Eaton currently works as a pre-law fellow at Steptoe, an international law firm in Washington, D.C. In this role, Eaton helps lawyers and clients navigate U.S. sanctions and export-control rules by handling filings, screening risks, tracking policy changes and supporting related pro bono work.
In the future, Eaton hopes to continue his work in private practice and eventually enter government in a policymaking role.
Eaton said his interest in leadership and policy began long before he entered the workforce. In his senior year at Colgate, Eaton served as the Student Government Association (SGA) President. At a Schwarzman Scholarship virtual information session on Wednesday, Feb. 4, Eaton explained how his interest in student advocacy began.
“I knew nobody coming to Colgate, so I first wanted to find out who I was in the presence of people who were outside of my small town,” Eaton said. “Over time, I realized that where I wanted to have a say was in the areas that shaped me as a student.”
During his term, he and his team rewrote the SGA constitution and successfully lobbied for a financial literacy course.
Eaton said that what he took away from his Colgate experience was the importance of being an authentic and humble leader.
“In terms of being authentic, you don’t want to be in a leadership position while pretending to be someone you are not,” Eaton said. “Being humble means that it is your responsibility as a leader to uplift those around you and make sure their voices are heard despite having a certain amount of power.”
For Eaton, the international nature of the Schwarzman cohort was what drew him in. With almost half of the scholars from outside the U.S. and over 40 countries represented in each class, the program offers a global reach that allows him to expand his horizons.
Schwarzman Scholars Admissions Officer Nkima Stephenson cited the network as the most valuable part of the program.
“The people you meet will be your confidants, your partners and your sounding boards,” Stephenson said. “We do a good job of bringing people together who are like-minded, driven and curious about the world.”
Each scholar selects a mentor to work with and gain new perspectives about their career goals. The college prides itself on pairing students with renowned mentors such as the CFO of Tim Hortons China and the director of programs at the Gates Foundation.
When looking for job opportunities, Eaton went to the Colgate Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships (ONFS) where they alerted him to the program due to his interest in China. Depending on the year, the ONFS offers 50 to 60 fellowships to students.
ONFS Director Stephen Wright highlighted the role the office plays on campus.
“Colgate has an amazing resource with the ONFS,” Wright said. “We have a centralized office with two dedicated advisors, and Schwarzman is just one very important example in a whole array of fellowships.”
Planning to attend law school, Eaton was also drawn to the program’s academic structure. In order to learn how to navigate geopolitical complexity with confidence, students take courses in leadership, global affairs and China over the past 40 years.
“I have the opportunity to study China while I am in China, which is important in getting a boots-on-the-ground immersion and a first-person perspective on some of the issues I have been studying at arm’s length,” Eaton said.
In addition, Eaton praised the program’s experiential aspect. As part of the immersive learning experience, students complete a “Deep Dive” course in which they attend cultural excursions and lectures in a region of China of their choosing, alongside other students.
“You are really immersed in that culture, and you have the opportunity to interact with different people from different backgrounds depending on where you go,” Eaton said.
Eaton originally applied to the program in 2023. Rejected, he took a step back and reapplied two years later, after gaining work experience and reevaluating his career trajectory.
Eaton spoke about the process of writing his application through a new lens.
“It was something at the end of the day that I felt was authentically me,” Eaton said. “What I realized was you need to take a step back during the essay writing process and think to yourself, who am I, and what do I genuinely believe in?”
Overall, Eaton hopes to leave Schwarzman with more confidence in his intercultural competencies, language skills and identity as a global citizen.
“The program is designed in such a way to get people from all walks of life and interests together and to have them learn from one another, so I think that will be a great opportunity,” Eaton said.
