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Becoming a POY Fellow

An excellence award to be given to Brazilian graduate students who best represent the potential to fulfill the broad mission of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., that being to promote trade and investment flows between Brazil and the United States and forge closer ties between the business communities of both nations.

The POY Fellowship Program consists of highly selective support scholarships for outstanding students who:

(1) boast an impressive record of professional leadership and accomplishments;
(2) have a background that reflects a grounded and consistent interest in Brazil-US relations; and
(3) have already been accepted to a graduate Master’s program (MSc, MA, or MBA) at a highly reputable university.

In order to award these prestigious scholarships to the finest candidates, the Chamber has partnered with top-tier educational institutions that have scholarship programs, or joint-scholarship programs, already in place, including Fundação Lemann and Instituto Ling. Each year, these institutions present the Chamber with a number of pre-screened, pre-selected top candidates they feel are best qualified for the scholarship. The Board of Directors of the Chamber, in conjunction with the POY Fellowship Committee, then makes the final decision on which candidates will be awarded with fellowships, based on a rigorous application and interview process.

Winning recipients of this fellowship are expected to maintain strong ties with the Chamber and remain actively involved in its programs and events.

If you are a Brazilian graduate student interested in applying for this fellowship, please contact our partners:

Fundação Lemann
Instituto Ling

POY Fellowship Program | 212-751-4691 | awardscommitteepoy@brazilcham.com.

Partnership

The fellowship shall only be distributed through partnerships with recognized organizations dedicated to awarding excellence in graduate studies. These organizations shall be entirely responsible for their candidate selection process. The candidates submitted to the Person of the Year Fellowship Committee will be subject to final evaluation by the committee. Each partnering organization may submit a maximum of ten candidates for each year, from which the committee will choose the awardees. Any recognized university in the United States or Brazil may participate in the program provided a selection process is fulfilled in accordance with the fellowship guidelines.

Candidate requirements and selection process

The fellowship shall be awarded to students selected from a list of candidates, previously screened and selected by the partnering organizations, who:

  • Have demonstrated a defined and focused career path along with a solid and continued interest in Brazil-US relations;
  • Have an outstanding resume of accomplishments in both the academic and business / professional spheres;
  • Are residents of either Brazil or the United States;
  • Have a proven interest in giving back to the community, as demonstrated through community service or volunteer work.

Each candidate shall submit, through the partnering organization, the following:

  • A fellowship commitment form (to be supplied by the Chamber);
  • A letter of introduction explaining why he/she should be awarded the fellowship;
  • A CV highlighting professional experience and other accomplishments;
  • An official undergraduate transcript as well as a transcript of the latest graduate studies accomplished (if applicable).

In selecting each candidate, the committee will consider academic performance, professional experience, and leadership potential. Financial need may be considered, but will not be a determining factor in the selection of candidates. While an in-person interview is ideal, for candidates residing in Brazil / outside the greater New York area, the interview may be accomplished through either video conferencing or a telephone conference call.

Alumni group

The fellows, as a group, represent a valuable resource to each other, to Brazil, and to further growth in Brazilian-American relations. All fellows are expected to participate in an alumni group and help to make the group greater than its parts.  Together they will be members of a valuable network of exceptional individuals whose potential to contribute to the Chamber’s mission has no limits.

The Chamber has established a directory and a community forum for the Alumni Group, so they may communicate and interact among themselves, and jointly participate in the forging of closer ties between the communities of both nations.

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