Andres Ortiz is CCNY's latest Jeannette K. Watson fellowship winner.
Andres Ortiz, a freshman in The City College of New York’s Honors Program, is CCNY’s 2028 Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship recipients. The economics and philosophy double major is among 15 promising undergraduates from New York City colleges and universities selected for the highly competitive awards.
Created in 1999 and supported by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation, the program provides fellows with three years of personal, professional and cultural immersions in the United States and abroad. Fellows are provided with annual funding of $7,500, $9,000 and $10,000, in addition to a $2,500 Discovery Fund to develop their personal, professional, and cultural potential.
Ortiz, who was born and raised in Washington Heights north of The City College, will spend his first summer as a Watson Fellow with AFS Intercultural Programs as an intern on its Youth Assembly Team.
“My job will be to help prepare for, plan, and execute the Youth Assembly Event in partnership with the United Nations,” he said. “This year's Youth Assembly will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 12 to the 14th, where I will spend a week plus as part of my internship running the event.”
In addition to the Watson Fellowship, Ortiz has also been awarded a Moynihan Public Service Fellowship by CCNY’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global. The two-year award -- totaling $20,000 -- supports promising undergraduate students pursuing innovative careers in public service. During the period, Fellows take four elective courses dedicated to professional development and public service, and participate in two paid summer internships in city government or in another public service institution.
A member of CCNY’s Class of 2029, Ortiz also has his sights set on the coveted Truman and Fulbright scholarships.
His future plans include law school and a career as an attorney. “I am very interested in international relations and commerce, as well as public service and policy. I want a career in law where I can somehow combine the two and be a well-rounded global citizen helping as many people as I can,” he said.
About the Watson Foundation
In 1961, the Watson Foundation was created as a charitable trust in the name of Thomas J. Watson Sr., best known for building IBM. Through one-of-a-kind programs, and over 100 global partnerships, the Foundation provides students with personal, professional and cultural opportunities to expand their vision, develop their potential, and build their confidence and perspective do so for others.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 2.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY's annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the "for dollar" return on investment to students, taxpayers, and society. At City College, more than 16,500 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity, and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign ever. The campaign, titled "Doing Remarkable Things Together," seeks to bring the College's Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College's mission. By May 2026, $500 million had been raised. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic, and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
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jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu