End of Semester Updates in Harvard and Cambridge
Graphic by Nuala Mernin
As of Dec. 9, President Donald Trump has signed 218 executive orders, issued 112 proclamations, and declared 55 memoranda throughout his second term in the White House. 14 executive orders have explicitly related to American education, and six of these focused on the post-secondary landscape—targeting elite institutions including Harvard University. On campus, this political upheaval has been paired with academic awards, athletic commitments, fiscal appropriations, and more during the fall 2025 semester. Below are some of the most recent—and most notable—news updates of the past five months.
Four Harvard Seniors Were Announced as 2026 Marshall Scholars
The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission announced its 2026 cohort of Marshall Scholars on Dec. 9. Among the winners were four Harvard College seniors—Kashish Bastola ’26, Hannah Duane ’26, Tenzin Gund-Morrow ’26, and Ashwin Sivakumar ’26—as well as College alumna Tomi Siyanbade ’24.
The Marshall Scholarship was founded in 1953 in honor of former United States Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The initiative finances young Americans deemed as “of high ability” to pursue a graduate-level degree at an accredited United Kingdom institution in any field of study. Each year, up to fifty scholars are selected.
“I got the sweetest call on the walk from my class in Wasserstein Hall to my dorm in Kirkland—all seven of the interview panelists [were] on the line!!! They said they had one last question for me, and it was if I accept the Marshall,” Gund-Morrow wrote in a statement to the Independent. “A really hectic mixture of laughter, disbelief, tears of joy, and gratitude ensued. I just plopped down right there in the grass after the call ended… Then, of course, I called my parents.”
Though enduring academic excellence is the prevailing purpose of the program, the Marshall Scholarship is unique in its focus on strengthening relationships between the British and American peoples, governments, and national institutions. Marshall Scholars are not only expected to exhibit profound personal growth after completing the program, but they also should directly engage with Britain to become a community of Anglo-American ambassadors.
“I got really lucky to have a family and community that made this possible,” Gund-Morrow continued. “This was a weird fall for me. I lost my grandmother and one of the mentors at Harvard who poured into me over the past four years, Setti Warren—he actually wrote my Marshall recommendation. So, even more than usual, it didn’t feel like I was winning anything alone.”
Chosen by eight regional committees and out of over 1,000 applicants, Harvard had the most Marshall Scholars out of the 31 representing universities across 43 student winners this year. This announcement arrives around three weeks after eight different Harvard seniors were honored as 2026 Rhodes Scholars.
“I’m excited to explore the UK far and wide. I’m planning to study public safety policy and urban planning, so I really want to make great cities,” Gund-Morrow concluded.
Upcoming Changes to the Institute of Politics Executive Board
The end of the semester is also characterized by leadership turnover for many Harvard College student organizations. On Nov. 10, the IOP announced its 2026 Executive Board. Incoming President Lorenzo Ruiz ’27 and Vice President Will Smialek ’27 are eager to make potential structural adjustments to the organization’s head operations.
“One of the changes that we are going to be pushing for is to make our leadership more equal and more accessible,” Smialek shared with the Independent in November. “The establishment of co-presidents [is a part] of our platform.”
“This is one platform point of many that we will be bringing to [SAC] for them to vote on and pass democratically,” Ruiz added.
The IOP’s Student Advisory Committee and Executive Team are in charge of making any constitutional changes to the organization and thus approving this shift. As of right now, nothing has been confirmed, though Smialek and Ruiz are looking to re-evaluate the feasibility of their platform during the early days of their upcoming term.
Funding Cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development Continuum of Care Program Hit Massachusetts Hard
Internal affairs are not the only matters potentially affecting the Harvard community, as the institution holds deep ties with Massachusetts land and realty.
On Nov. 13, the DHUD announced significant funding cuts for permanent housing programs for unhoused individuals. More than half of the 2026 fiscal appropriations for the Continuum of Care program that partners with local anti-homelessness nonprofits will be lost. Money will be moved to transitional housing assistance, stipulated by work or service requirements.
Under the Trump administration’s funding reforms, Massachusetts is at risk of losing around $77 million, equivalent to 4,822 beds. Impacts extend beyond Massachusetts, with Connecticut potentially losing approximately $57 million or 3,739 beds, Maine $14 million or 1,131 beds, Rhode Island $9.6 million or 831 beds, New Hampshire $6.5 million or 406 beds, and Vermont $3.9 million or 317 beds.
Harvard undergraduates operate two shelters for unhoused individuals—Harvard Square Homeless Shelter and Y2Y. “We started from HSHS staff members who saw a unique need for a shelter for young adults. And we provide everything from overnight shelter to dinner…and case management services,” Y2Y Administrative Director Necati Unsal ’26 told the Independent.
However, Unsal expressed relief that this funding shift will likely not trickle down to these organizations. “Honestly, [there are] no direct effects as far as I can see. There may be some guests experiencing more downstream effects of this stuff.”
Harvard Baseball Players Heading to the MLB Next Semester
For two players on the Harvard Baseball team, 2025 dramatically altered their higher education trajectory after both were drafted to the MLB this July.
Deciding to continue at Harvard while also accepting the professional athletic opportunity, Truman Pauley ’27 plans to finish his last three semesters at the College by Fall 2028.
“Education has always been important to my family, and I, and Harvard is an incredible school and place to be. I was given this incredible opportunity to follow my dream and play professional baseball, but I’m finishing my degree,” Pauley wrote to the Independent. “The MLB actually encourages their players to finish school, as they have a program that compensates tuition. Now, I can only go back to school in the Fall, as the spring is the baseball season. But I’ve been taking extra courses so I’ll finish my degree just a semester behind my class.”
Pauley was offered a spot on the Mets Minor League, Single-A affiliate, the St. Lucie Mets, located in Florida. “I was lucky and was given the opportunity to finish the summer with the Single A team in Florida, so I kinda know what it’s like. But of course I’m nervous, you’d be crazy if you weren’t,” Pauley continued.
Harvard baseball has sent a little under two dozen players to the MLB throughout the team’s historic tenure. Most recently, Tanner Smith ’25 and Sean Matson ’25 joined the MLB in 2023. “I looked very much up to those guys. They all came back to finish their degrees. Harvard has a pitcher, Hunter Bigge, who’s the big league closer for the Rays. I really look up to him since he also studied Physics,” Pauley said.
Alongside Pauley, Callan Fang ’27 was drafted to the Minnesota Twins this past summer.
Even as students head home for winter break, Harvard remains in a state of flux. Wage negotiations are ongoing between Harvard and the 32BJ Service Employees International Union, who most recently rallied outside of University Hall on Dec. 8; the fallout has continued for Professor Larry Summers after his further ties to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed; and there have been persistent funding cuts and layoffs at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Sara Kumar ’27 (sjkumar@college.harvard.edu) is sad to write that this is her last article as News Editor of the Harvard Independent.