Lena Bullard
Estes Family 1693 Scholar
Hometowns
Dakar, Senegal (Senegalese American Bilingual School) and Richmond, VA
Majors
Government and French
Why W&M
For as long as I can remember, William & Mary has been a part of my life. My parents met at W&M, so I grew up constantly hearing about the school’s accolades. And so my choice was clear - even before I began the application process, I decided that I couldn’t go to William & Mary; its omnipresence initially dissuaded me from even considering the school.
In the beginning of my college selection process, I only looked for prestige, good food, and comfortable dorms. I naively put too much faith in U.S. News’ college rankings and subsequently structured my top choices around the rankings on the list. Finding out that I was a 1693 semi-finalist was the catalyst for me taking the possibility of attending William & Mary seriously. Although I grew up hearing about William & Mary, I didn’t know much about the school until I started doing my own in-depth research. I found many things that interested me, especially the research opportunities with the Program on International Peace and Security (PIPS Program) and the close-knit community the school seemed to have.
The possibility of a scholarship never crossed my mind during my college application process, so when I found out I was being considered for the 1693 Scholars Program, I was ecstatic. I loved how, even before I arrived on campus, all of the people in the program seemed interested in getting to know me. From talking to Professor Cristol about my experiences living abroad to cross-time zone midnight calls with current scholars, I truly felt welcomed by the 1693 community.
Finalist Weekend only solidified what I had learned throughout the selection process - that the academic rigor, wonderful people, and historic campus made William & Mary the school for me. Whether talking to a professor about particle physics or debating the efficiency of medieval medical techniques, I was amazed at how passion was at the center of everything the students and professors did. I loved how it seemed like the pursuit of knowledge never stopped in the classroom and I knew that if I decided to go to William & Mary, I would continue to have amazing conversations and experiences. So when Professor Cristol called me as I was about to board my plane back to Senegal, I didn’t hesitate to accept his offer!
W&M Activities
- Admin Intern with the Project on International Peace and Security (PIPS)
- Research Intern with the Lemon Project
- Outreach Coordinator for the Conduct and Honor Advisory Program (CHAP)
- Club Tennis Team
- Black Student Organization
- African Cultural Society
- Brown Table Talk
- Freeman Fellowship
- Interpreter, W&M Law School Immigration Clinic
Research
- Project on International Peace and Security (PIPS)
- Research Fellow for the People Power Data Project
- Research Fellow with the International Justice Lab
High School Activities
- Varsity Tennis Captain
- HR Intern at Cognition LLC
- Book Club President
- YMCA Leaders Club Volunteer
- Debate Team
- Honor Council
- Student Council President
- Yoga Club
- Mu Alpha Theta
- Richmond Peace Project Conflict Resolution Training Leader
- Tennis Coach
Awards / Distinctions
- Valedictorian
- AP Capstone Diploma
- American Mathematics Competition 3rd Place
- AP Scholar with Distinction
