Recent Emory College of Arts and Sciences graduate Lucas San Miguel has been named a Schwarzman Scholar for graduate study next fall in China.
A Robert W. Woodruff Scholar from Atlanta, San Miguel graduated in May 2025 with a dual degree in economics and Chinese studies. He is Emory’s 12th Schwarzman Scholar and one of just 150 recipients selected this year from more than 5,800 applicants. The highly selective program aims to build an international community of leaders to foster the relationship between China and the rest of the world.
“This is the pinnacle of my Emory experience, from being able to invest in my own interests and my own niche,” San Miguel says.
The Schwarzman Scholars program launched 11 years ago, inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship to promote international understanding and peace through intensive study and leadership.
In addition to a one-year master’s degree, the program also includes cultural immersion, personal and professional development, and career resources designed to help scholars lead in various fields upon graduation.
“Lucas embodies the initiative, intelligence and determination necessary to make a genuine difference in the world,” says Interim Emory College Dean Joe Crespino. “We are so excited that he has received this recognition, and we can’t wait to see the great things that he’ll do next.”
Connecting with people has always been a defining character trait for San Miguel. He even wrote about his love of talking to strangers in his personal statement when applying to Emory. Growing up in a household influenced by his Cuban heritage alongside becoming fluent in Spanish during high school led to setting his eyes on Latin America as an area of interest for applying his economics academic background.
He put those skills to use as a first-year Emory student, finding an internship in Nicaragua — accompanied by a grant from Emory — shortly after the country established diplomatic ties with China. San Miguel spent that summer working in Spanish, his second language, to develop community projects for a company that works with Nicaraguan nonprofits. While there, he also studied advanced Chinese through the U.S. State Department’s Critical Language Scholar program.
But San Miguel didn’t limit his opportunities to Latin America. He served as Emory’s Coca-Cola Ambassador for four years, consulting on Gen Z and international marketing campaigns. He secured Pathways Center internship funding to work in Thailand on Coke’s launch of a sparkling water, studied for a year at the London School of Economics, and completed a State Department Portuguese immersive language program in Brazil.
“I am constantly impressed by Lucas, but I am not surprised,” says Stephen O’Connell, an associate professor of economics who met San Miguel while teaching an econometrics course. “He has a clarity of purpose and impressive accomplishments, with a genuine interest in people, all while remaining truly humble.”
San Miguel has a clear vision of a career in international trade, with a special focus on trade at the intersection of the U.S., China and Latin America.
He successfully applied to become a Robert T. Jones Scholar to expand his undergraduate study of language and quantitative economics. He will complete his master’s in global sustainable development — with a focus on social policy and sustainability — from the University of St Andrews in Scotland this spring.
Pursuing his master’s degree in global affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing as a Schwarzman Scholar will provide a more global perspective on China, especially as it has become the largest developer of trade infrastructure in Latin America.
“It looks like I planned it all out, but the reality is the encouragement, opportunities and structure of study at Emory allowed me to explore and confirm what I found the most meaningful,” San Miguel says. “From internships and grants to crafting my specific academic interests and applying them globally by learning several new languages to fluency, I felt invested in from every corner at Emory.”
Learn more about scholarships
Students interested in learning more about the Schwarzman Scholarship and other prestigious awards should contact Megan Friddle in Emory’s National Scholarships and Fellowships Program in the Pathways Center.
Find more information or schedule an appointment through the National Scholarships and Fellowships Program website.