January 26, 2026

UW undergrad Parker Ritzmann earns international Schwarzman Scholars fellowship

University of Washington senior Parker Ritzmann, has been selected as a Schwarzman Scholar, one of the world’s most competitive graduate and fellowship programs. Schwarzman Scholars will pursue a one-year, fully-funded master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Ritzmann, who is majoring in business administration, will join the program’s 11th cohort of 150 scholars chosen from more than 5,800 candidates worldwide — the most competitive year to date. The Scholars represent 40 countries and 83 universities from around the world.

“Exploration has been core to my human experience, and has been very much so empowered by the University of Washington,” Ritzmann said. “Throughout my time at the UW I have been fortunate enough to study abroad three times. Once through the Brotherhood Initiative to Rome, Italy, another conducting field research through the iSchool in Ethiopia, my motherland, and lastly back to Rome through the Foster School of Business.”

Ritzmann’s global perspective began at a young age. He was born in Ethiopia and raised in the United States. As a high school student in Spokane, WA, he founded HOPE Neighborhood Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery empowering foster youth through entrepreneurship. He deepened and expanded his knowledge about the coffee industry through training in Florence, Italy, and Costa Rica.

Foundations in community

After being accepted to the UW and while still in high school,  Ritzmann’s leadership in and care for his Spokane community caught the attention of local leaders who, in turn, got word to the UW’s Presidential Scholarship Program. Ritzmann was awarded a Presidential Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship that provides $10,000 annually for up to four years to select Washington state residents.

“The Presidential Scholars are some of the most inspiring young people I’ve met,” says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. “They are focusing their talent and energy outward, to engage in and improve their communities. At the UW, Parker continued to shine a light not on himself, but on his community, with his academic and experiential learning choices. I’m excited for him to take this next step and deepen his learning in a truly global context. He shows what is possible when we invest in student talent and public education institutions.”

Compassionate entrepreneurship goes global

At the UW, Ritzmann immersed himself in his business administration major and connected to the breadth and depth of opportunities available to undergraduates. He founded Ripple, a peer-to-peer marketplace for the UW community, held two corporate internships, explored more than 30 countries, and participated in several clubs and organizations at the UW, including (but not limited to!) Champions, Lavin Entrepreneurship Program and Dubhacks Next.

A self-described lifelong student, he will build on his undergraduate work through the Schwarzman Fellowship with a goal to “strengthen my understanding of global development and industrial policy, particularly through hands-on work across China’s private and public sectors.” Eventually, Ritzmann plans to “build companies and institutions that transform how emerging markets participate in global trade and create pathways for widespread economic mobility.” He aims to expand economic opportunity for marginalized communities.

Thinking about the Schwarzman Scholarship, Ritzmann is “most looking forward to building deep relationships with some of the most extraordinary people on the planet, and better understanding what exactly is China.”

About the Schwarzman Scholars Program

The Schwarzman Scholars is an elite scholarship program founded in 2013 by Blackstone Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman. The program was created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century by preparing the next generation of global leaders.

Up to 200 scholars are selected annually from a broad range of backgrounds, including business, technology, science, politics, healthcare, and more.

About the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards

The  Schwarzman Scholars Program process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.