Odyssey Fellowships

Application and Eligibility Information – 2025-2026 Cycle

The Odyssey Fellowships provide an opportunity for Honors students to propose an experience to help them to better understand the world and their place in it. While the Fellowships provide meaningful individual experiences, many applicants find that the application process itself helps them develop essential skills in a global world.

The process for most of these begins in a student’s second year at Virginia Tech (Patricia C. Perna is open to all class levels). See "Fellowships at a glance" at the end of this page for an overview. More detailed information for all fellowships is available on our Merit Scholarships page.

Application Requirements

1. Current curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages)
2. Personal statement – one page explaining why you are pursuing the scholarship
3. Final proposal (maximum two pages) for the experience
4. One-page itemized budget, including an itemized budget (to include travel insurance if applicable), an experience timeline, and evidence of an established relationship with an organization or institution.
5. Endorsement letter from a faculty mentor

Selection Criteria

Odyssey Fellows will be selected on the basis of 1) the student’s ability to define such an experience and 2) an interview with the Honors College faculty committee. The committee will evaluate which student will best use these opportunities to pursue academic and personal development in preparation for making a significant contribution to society. Applicants should demonstrate and seek personal development of these qualities:

• Intellectual curiosity and achievement
• Mental agility—to handle the unexpected and solve problems
• Questing spirit—to pursue greater challenges and take risks
• Moral character—to establish exceptional standards of personal and public ideals, expectations, and performance
• Confirmed leadership—to serve, lead, and receive the recognition of their peer group

Applicants must be current Honors College students in good standing, i.e., meet GPA requirement(s) and have completed UH-1404. Transfer students are eligible to apply in their first year at Virginia Tech.

Selection of a Faculty Mentor

Choosing an effective faculty mentor is essential to the application process and fellowship experience. Consider previous or current classes. Which professors were inspiring? Good faculty mentors might share an applicant’s research or other interests. While applicants do not need to have worked with the faculty mentor in the past, they should be confident that the faculty mentor has the time and interest to advise them.

Duties of the mentor include acting as an overall advisor, assisting the student in developing the educational experience for the application, writing a letter of endorsement, and being a proponent of the fellowship and the applicant’s interests. The applicant is required to plan the experience, but an ideal mentor should share the journey and dream.

Application Requirements

Both the preliminary and final applications must be submitted electronically as comprehensive PDF files. The application is a collection of original work and should provide the selection committees with a complete idea of the proposal in relation to the requirements of the selected fellowship. Fellowships are awarded on the basis of a student’s character, leadership ability, and intellectual acumen. To illustrate your strength in these areas, you should contain only work of the highest quality.

The Honors College reserves the right to make cuts before faculty committee review if the final application shows a significant lack of care, is poorly proofread, or lacks clarity or depth of thought. We encourage frequent meetings with the faculty mentor, consultation with Christina McIntyre, and discussions with previous Odyssey Fellows. Applicants are encouraged to work with the Writing Center on crafting their Personal Statements and Proposals.

Preliminary Faculty Committee Review

Once the final application has been submitted, an Honors College faculty committee will select finalists for each Odyssey Fellowship. There is no set number of required finalists; those selected will be on the basis of the overall application quality. Because the first review is solely of application materials, the applicant should ensure the quality is top-notch: no spelling or grammatical errors, clear and concise plans, and a convincing argument for why they should be nominated as a finalist.

Final Selection

Finalists will participate in an in-person interview, consisting of an Honors College faculty committee. Winners will be selected on the basis of their achievements and their representation of the ideals espoused by the fellowship. The committee’s decision is final and will be announced as soon as possible once interviews are complete.

Process Timeline

October: Update your curriculum vitae. Prepare a one-page document that addresses this question: Why are you interested in pursuing an Odyssey Fellowship? Include any preliminary ideas you have for experiences (it is fine to think big at this initial stage). Email your updated curriculum vitae and question response to Christina McIntyre (cmcintyre@vt.edu) by October 31. For help with a curriculum vitae, visit https://tips.career.vt.edu/Resumes/examples/CV/curriculumvitae.html

November/December: Secure a faculty mentor and begin working on application materials. Meet with previous Fellowship winners and/or Christina McIntyre to discuss ideas and/or ask any questions about the process. Start early!

December DEADLINE: Applicants must declare their faculty mentor online (link to be provided) no later than Wednesday, December 10. Applicants cannot continue if they do not declare a mentor.

January DEADLINE: Preliminary application due by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 20. A preliminary application is required to continue with the process. Applicants will make an appointment with Christina McIntyre to receive feedback. Submission guidelines will be provided later.

January/February: Continue working with faculty mentor to finalize application

March DEADLINE: Final application due February 27. No late applications accepted. Submission guidelines will be provided later.

March: Honors College faculty will review applications beginning the week of March 3. Students selected for interview will be notified as soon as possible.

April: Interviews will be conducted between March 30-April 17. Timeline will be narrowed during the Spring 2026 semester.

Honors College Contacts:

Christina McIntyre, Director of Professional Development, National and International Scholarships: Please contact Christina to declare your intent to apply and for help discussing your application ideas, your travel plans, personal statement writing, and interviewing skills. Email: cmcintyre@vt.edu

Russell Shrader, Director of Admissions and Scholarships (Honors College): Russell coordinates the administrative process of the Odyssey Fellowships, including interview logistics and approval/dispersal of scholarship funds. Email: rbshrade@vt.edu

Detailed Fellowship Descriptions

The Class of 1954 Fellowship provides outstanding Honors students with unusual opportunities extending beyond the classroom. The recipient, named a Class of 1954 Fellow, receives funding to be used toward the experience and cost of attendance. An excellent, well-rounded education necessitates that students define experiences that complement and elevate their understanding of undergraduate learning. Applicants must seek beyond a simple addition to their disciplinary studies. They are encouraged to reflect on their passions and intellectual interests and then define an experience that embodies these curiosities. The experience must offer them the opportunity to expand a world view, refine a philosophy of life, engage their curiosity, and/or investigate and join a significant intellectual conversation.

The Class of 1956 Ut Prosim Fellowship provides outstanding Honors students with unusual opportunities extending far beyond the classroom and campus. The recipient, named a Class of 1956 Fellow, receives funding to be used toward the experience and cost of attendance. An excellent, well-rounded education necessitates that students define experiences that complement and elevate their understanding of undergraduate learning. The Class of 1956 Ut Prosim Fellowship seeks to identify students with outstanding ability and the capacity to make a difference in the world in which we live, through volunteerism or service.

Wayne and Claire Horton established their fellowship to provide assistance to outstanding honors students in the College of Engineering. Wayne Horton was a graduate of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, and Claire Horton was an anthropology professor who taught at Marshall University. They lived in Huntington, West Virginia.

The purpose of the fellowship is twofold: first, to provide an outstanding Honors Engineering student with the resources to design and complete a major educational experience that gives focus and direction to his or her undergraduate efforts, and second, to ensure that the Horton Fellow obtains significant experience in the humanities and social sciences in addition to his or her degree in Engineering. Applicants must be in the College of Engineering but must also have significant experience in the humanities and social sciences and demonstrate significant engagement in a foreign language and the performing arts. Upon graduating, the Horton Fellow will possess broad knowledge of world affairs and contemporary social and political issues, all of which is intended to inform and enhance their work in the field of engineering.

While Honors students in all areas of engineering are encouraged to apply, special attention will be given to students who are interested in fields of engineering that confront issues of energy and alternative energy sources. The Horton Fellow will receive funding for an experience that:

• Requires international travel
• Demonstrates awareness and knowledge of cultural and social differences
• Attempts a project of meaning to both the student and the host country
• Develops a program to internationalize the engineering education of the student

Once awarded, Horton Fellows must complete three courses introducing the idea of the social sciences, including STS 2054: Engineering Cultures and two tutorials focusing on Social Science to be determined in consultation with Honors, and must also earn a degree in the College of Engineering.

The Patricia C. Perna Fellowship was created by the Perna family in honor and memory of the family’s matriarch, Patricia C. Perna, who passed away in 2006 following an extended battle with cancer. The fellowship allows students interested in medical occupations or management to design an experience to explore and research quality of life issues associated with healthcare treatment and equipment. Priority will be given to experiences involving the care of patients and families affected by cancer, terminal illness, or injury. Through participation in the fellowship, students will develop opportunities to acquire hands-on field experience that can inform solutions to specific challenges associated with medical processes, equipment, facilities, or care. Funding will support the proposed learning experience.

Fellowship information at a glance

Class of 1954

Year eligibility: Second-year (traditional sophomore), First-year (transfer)

Field eligibility: Open to any major
Experience timeline: August 15-May 15
Award: $10,000
International travel required?: No

Class of 1956 Ut Prosim

Year eligibility: Second-year (traditional sophomore), First-year (transfer)
Field eligibility: Open to any major (volunteerism and service)
Experience timeline: August 15-May 15
Award: $10,000
International travel required?: No

Horton

Year eligibility: Second-year (traditional sophomore), First-year (transfer)
Field eligibility: College of Engineering and significant experience in humanities and social sciences, engagement in foreign language and performing arts
Experience timeline: August 15-June 30. International travel requirement.
Award: $10,000
International travel required?: Yes

Perna

Year eligibility: First-fourth (current & transfer). Fourth-year senior must have at least two semesters at VT after winning award.
Field eligibility: Open to any major
Experience timeline: August 15-May 15
Award: $5,000
International travel required?: No