2025 Merit Scholarship Recipients
2025 Donations in Review: Congrats to our Exceptional Recipients!
The NMIF is pleased to announce that this year, with the help from our generous donors, we were able to award $32,000 for the 2025 academic year to 12 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in intelligence and national security-related programs.
​Recipient of the NMIF Lieutenant General James A. Williams Scholarship:​​​​​​​
Connor Hall is a recent graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, attaining an M.A. in Strategy, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence. He previously graduated from Gordon College with a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science, earning departmental honors. Connor is currently an Air Force Intelligence Officer student and has interned at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs and studied Chinese abroad in Taiwan through the Department of Defense's Project Global Officer Program. Connor's academic works have been published by the SAIS Review of International Affairs and the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies.
​Recipient of a Legere Family Scholarship:​​​​​
Emily Bogle is a senior at Penn State studying Security and Risk Analysis with a focus in intelligence analysis, alongside a minor in Information Sciences and Technology. She is a scholar with ODNI's Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence program, an Intelligence Analyst intern with the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), analyzing Syria's illicit Captagon trade, and an intern with Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory. Previously, she supported the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense at the University of Maryland's Applied Research Laboratory as a RISC intern, conducting data visualization related to the geographic distribution of US innovation. Passionate about national security, Emily is committed to serving the United States through data-informed and mission-driven intelligence work.
Recipient of a Legere Family Scholarship:
Aidan Guerra is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis, pursuing a B.S. in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. He is currently an Undergraduate Researcher in the Bioastronautics and eXploration Systems (BXS) Laboratory at the UC Davis Center for Space Exploration Research (CSER) studying ionizing space radiation. Aidan’s previous work experience spans 3 internships with NASA – 2 at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) supporting drone cybersecurity and aerodynamics research in the Aeronautics Branch, and 1 at NASA Headquarters (HQ) supporting technology infusions/transitions across the agency. Most recently, Aidan completed an internship at Blue Origin as a Manufacturing Engineering Intern, where he improved the production throughput of the turbine bypass valves for the BE-7 engine.
​Recipient of a Fecteau Family Scholarship:​​​​
Joshua Spicer is a graduate student at George Washington University pursuing an M.A. in Homeland Security. He previously graduated from Virginia Wesleyan University with a double major B.A. in Political Science and International Studies. Josh currently works for the Transportation Security Administration and had previously interned for the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development.
​Recipient of a Fecteau Family Scholarship:
Marissa Munoz is an undergraduate student at Virginia Tech pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science with a specialization in Secure Computing and minors in Leadership and Spanish. She is a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and serves as Vice President of the Virginia Tech Cybersecurity Club. Marissa has completed internships with the Army Cyber Institute at West Point, NY (Summer 2024) and the U.S. Air Force Computer Network Operations (PreCORE) program in Linthicum, MD (Summer 2025).
​Recipient of a Fecteau Family Scholarship:
Ethan Chiu is a BA/MPP student at Yale University studying Global Affairs and History, with a focus on technology, national security, and industrial policy. He most recently served as a Fellow for the House Select Committee on the CCP and an Operations Intern at Red Cell Partners. Ethan has held roles at the Department of Defense, Council on Foreign Relations, Brookings Institution, and Harvard's Berkman Klein Center, and researches semiconductor labor conditions as a Directors Fellow at Yale's Digital Ethics Center.
​Recipient of a Fecteau Family Scholarship:
James Barogh is an undergraduate student studying Cybersecurity Management and Analytics at Virginia Tech's Innovation Campus, just two miles south of the Pentagon. He previously graduated from Northern Virginia Community College with an A.S. in Information Technology. Dedicated to the nation's security, James is a CMMC Registered Practitioner, and works for GT Edge AI to provide secure AI Systems to the Defense Industrial Base. Outside of work, James is active in the community and has been involved with theatre, as well as biking.
Recipient of the Michaela Robinson Merit Scholarship:
Charlotte Freer, biography coming soon.
Recipient of the Colonel Scott St. Cyr Scholarship:
Joseph (Cole) Shryock is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University pursuing an M.A. in International Relations with specialization in Security, Strategy and Statecraft. He previously graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Political Science, and a minor in Military Leadership. Cole is an Army veteran, and most recently served as an advisor in the 2d Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB).
Recipient of an NMIF Scholarship:
Michelle Malan is an undergraduate student attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University pursuing a B.S. in Global Security and Intelligence Studies. She worked as an intern with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), deepening her passion for intelligence work and public service. Michelle also interned with British Standards Institution (BSI) analyzing potential impacts to the European supply chain, interned with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) this past summer, and is currently working as a threat management intern with Draper.
Recipient of an NMIF Scholarship:
Elijah Weaver is a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies pursuing an M.A. in International Relations with a specialization in China and Technology. He previously graduated from Juniata College with a B.A. in International Studies and Chinese Studies. Elijah currently works for the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Institute as an intern, where he researches the intersection of technology and national security. Previously, he has held positions at the East-West Center and Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association.
Recipient of an NMIF Scholarship:
Austin Sowers is a graduate student at The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M, pursuing a M.A in National Security & Diplomacy, with a specialization in Latin America. He is a previous honors graduate from Arizona State University, where he obtained a B.A in Philosophy, Political Theory, and Legal Ethics. Additionally, Austin is Fulbright Scholar, having spent 10 months abroad in Honduras, teaching English within the countries more vulnerable areas.