Morehead-Cain Global Fellow Fadilullahi Adeniyi ’26 (photo by Leon Godwin)
In August 2025, twelve exceptional student leaders from around the world arrived at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC–Chapel Hill) as the inaugural cohort of Morehead-Cain Global Fellows. They came from Brazil, India, Nigeria, and Turkey, nominated by faculty at their home institutions for their demonstrated leadership impact and commitment to their communities.
As they prepared to return home, the global fellows reflected on what transformed during their year at Carolina: their sense of purpose, their understanding of community, and their confidence in what they can achieve. Through rigorous academics, immersive research, funded travel across the United States, and meaningful relationships, they discovered new dimensions of leadership, and of themselves.
Watch: Returning Home as Stronger Leaders
From discovering a sense of direction to building the courage to make their mark, global fellows reflect on the profound shifts in confidence, purpose, and commitment that will inform how they lead in their communities. They carry home not just world-class research experience and an international network, but a deepened understanding of their responsibility to serve, and the conviction that they are ready.
Watch: The Power of Community
Community is at the heart of the Morehead-Cain Global Fellows Program. The first global fellows share how their cohort—and the broader Morehead-Cain community of nearly 400 current scholars and 3,500 alumni—challenged them to grow, inspired them to find their voice, and created a powerful sense of belonging.
Watch: What the Program Made Possible
The Morehead-Cain Global Fellows Program provides the tools—alumni networks, faculty mentors, research opportunities, and funded travel—but it’s the global fellows’ will and determination that turns opportunity into transformation. From exploring diverse academic interests to publishing research, traveling from Alaska to New York, and connecting with leaders across sectors, the global fellows share how the program made the seemingly impossible possible.
More about the program
The Morehead-Cain Global Fellows Program identifies, invests in, and empowers emerging leaders who seek to positively shape communities across the world.
Are you ready to step forward and shape the world for the better? Learn more at global.moreheadcain.org.
Read more about the inaugural class or listen to alumni from India, Nigeria, and Turkey share about their experiences on Morehead-Cain’s Catalyze podcast.
