A life of meaning and distinction

W&M Mission: We cultivate creative thinkers, principled leaders, and compassionate global citizens equipped for lives of meaning and distinction.

By Kate Hoving

It’s always interesting to ask a student what was the deciding factor that led them to William & Mary.

It might be the lure of a faculty member whose publication they read, or the safety and beauty of the campus; perhaps they explored the website or had a personal connection with an alumnus.

For Kirubel (Kira) Mulatu ’26, who left Addis Ababa to attend William & Mary, it began with the clear directive that will ring true to anyone who has an older sibling.

“My sister was studying at the University of Richmond, and she said, ‘You can apply anywhere else, but you’re not going to apply here.’”

William & Mary owes Kira’s sister thanks (and she graduated this May, so congratulations are also due), because Kira abided by his sister’s wish and discovered William & Mary.

“It was prestigious and was the second oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S.,” Kira explains. But there was more. “I liked that they offered government and business but also data and computer science, which are forward looking. It also had a good sense of community, which I liked, and when I was applying, I was communicating with Dr. Eva Wong [director of the Office of International Students, Scholars & Programs (ISSP) at the Reves Center], and she mentioned the Hixon Scholarship.”

In 2017, Jim Hixon J.D. ‘79, M.L.T. ‘80 and daughter, Kate Hixon ’08, gave $1.8 million to support international scholarships at William & Mary — the first gift to fully fund the education of international students at the university. The scholarships cover tuition, board, room, fees, and travel for undergraduate students who are residents of African countries. The gift also includes an enrichment endowment to support participation in opportunities such as summer courses, study abroad, W&M Washington Center programs, etc. for international students.

Wong has been involved with the scholarship from its beginning. Through this endowment, she has thus far welcomed four exceptional undergraduate students from Africa to William & Mary.
“I get to know the students from application through graduation, and it’s been gratifying to connect with them at every stage of their academic journey. I meet with each student at least once a semester. I check in to see how they are doing. They share their successes, challenges, and goals with me. It’s a privilege to be a part of these students’ lives, before they arrive at W&M, during their time at the university and post-graduation.”

After Wong suggested that he consider the Hixon Scholarship, Kira did his own research and found even more value in the scholarship than the outstanding financial support. “I read about the things that inspired them to create the scholarship, that they saw people that were struggling and had the thirst for knowledge but couldn't afford it. It was a great thing to hear, so with Dr. Wong’s encouragement, I applied.”

Kira is the third of four scholarship recipients so far.

“Kira is a typical scholarship recipient in the sense that he represents the high caliber of students who attend W&M,” says Wong. “However, every Hixon scholarship recipient is unique. The scholarship recipients are from different countries, coming to the university with their own unique experiences and aspirations.”

And that was the intention when the Hixons established the scholarship.

“I don’t think either myself or my father had any vision of the typical kind of Hixon scholar,” Kate Hixon says. “I knew through my own career that there were students across the continent all eager for the opportunity to study in the U.S. and that so many students would do incredibly well if just given the opportunity. There has yet to be a typical student - everyone has had different lived experiences and career paths. The thing they all have in common is their bravery for deciding to move away from their family and friends to pursue further education and their incredibly hard work to get to where they are.”

Belonging at W&M

The Hixon Scholarship opened the door to William & Mary for Kira, who has chosen to major in government and business analytics with a focus on data science. But the impression he has made and the impact he has had are all due to his unique abilities and drive.

It was also helpful, that although it was daunting to come to the U.S. for the first time, he felt accepted from the start. “The campus was very welcoming. Everyone was very nice and trying to help.”

It also helped that Kira’s roommate, Nebiyou Samuel ’26, is Ethiopian, He's an American citizen, but he grew up in Ethiopia, I mean he's Ethiopian as well, but he mostly came here during high school, so we speak the same language do the same thing. So we became friends instantly.

“He walked me through the process [of registering and getting acclimated.] There's a good Ethiopian community here as well – around fifteen of us freshmen year -- so it was a great opportunity to meet them, and being with them made adapting to the States easier.”

“When I first met Kira, I could see that he was a very curious and open person. He seemed to share a new interest or experience every time we met,” Wong recalls. “But over the semesters, I saw his interests deepen as he homed in on his academics and co-curricular pursuits. He’s interested in student leadership and is active in several student groups such as the Black Male Collective, the African Culture Society, and the International Student Advisory Board. It’s been wonderful to see Kira excel both in and out of the classroom.”

Academic, professional and personal growth

Kira has taken advantage of a broad range of opportunities to build his work skills, even during the school year on campus.

“Last fall, I worked as a consultant for the Hacking for Defense (H4D) program, where my team developed a clean energy strategy for the Philippines. We focused on aligning the plan with the country’s economic revitalization and national security goals and had the opportunity to present our work to Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and other senior DoD officials. I also participated in Deloitte’s Consulting Simulation, where I worked on infrastructure and human capital strategies for major U.S. cities.”

Kira has also been a financial assistant for William & Mary Athletics. “It allows me to combine my interest in finance with my appreciation for sports. It’s been a great opportunity to support student-athletes while gaining hands-on experience with budgeting and operations behind the scenes.”
Instead of taking a break over the summers, he has continued to explore opportunities to gain experience and skills.

The summer after his freshman year, Kira (who was by then a business analytics major) and Nebiyou got internships together in Ethiopia. “We wanted to go to Ethiopia very much. Nebiyou told me about a great internship at Ethio Agri, but it, like most internships there, was unpaid. So we applied for FUSE funding and got the scholarship to fund our experience.”

Ethio Agri-CEFT PLC, located in Addis Ababa, and is one of the largest import-export companies in Ethiopia. The company has thirteen farms, one tea processing & packaging factory and Agro-Processing factory. Its products are fair-trade certified and range from flowers to tea and coffee to essential oils and more. Kira worked as a data analyst for the coffee industry. “It was pretty amazing.”

Internship in Washington, D.C.

It was an Ethiopian friend, Woodie Tirfie ’23, who encouraged Kira to apply to the DC Summer Institute the summer, between his sophomore and junior years. ”She had done it, and she really liked it, so she encouraged me to apply as well. So, I talked to Dr. Wong about it and applied.”

The D.C. Summer Institute (DCSI) is a program run through the W&M Washington Center. Fellows earn credits through this academic program, composed of an accelerated course that involves networking with experts and alums through guest lectures and site visits—and working in an internship in the D.C. area. The two-week intensive courses balance time between the classroom, guest speakers, and site visits at relevant locations to the coursework being taught in class. These experiences give fellows practical meaning to the theories and readings taught in class.

Kira was a Digital Citizenship Fellow in 2024 with William & Mary’s D.C. Summer Institute at the Washington Center. Although he could stay with relatives in Alexandria to save in costs, the Hixon Scholarship covered any additional expenses.

Kira’s course focused on digital identity and was taught by Elizabeth Losh, Duane A. and Virginia S. Dittman Professor of English & American Studies. “We met different people in the digital identity sphere, learning about privacy and Internet rights. And during the program you can get credit for an internship as well, and I found an internship that was perfect.” For the summer, Kira was a Strategic Intelligence Analyst at Rhombus Power Inc., a defense and national security firm with headquarters in D.C. and Palo Alto. Rhombus describes its work as “purposefully transforming the nation’s defense and national security enterprises with Guardian, its Artificial Intelligence platform for strategic, operational, and tactical decisions at the Speed of Relevance.” Or, in layman’s terms, “Rhombus helps leaders turn overwhelming data into decisive action.”

For this government and business analytics major, work with data and analysis really was a perfect opportunity. The internship included more than analytical skills, though.

“It just ten minutes away from the D.C. Center, and we met with industry professionals and policymakers, and we had the chance to visit the Capitol as well, and it was such a great opportunity to meet people. We were interacting with different people -- those who worked with us as well as those who worked with Congress.”

These interactions provided invaluable experience in learning how to navigate confidently, not only in the academic world, but also in the U.S. business world. “I was very shy freshman and sophomore year. But the DC internship was mostly client based. You had to talk to people and be more extroverted. You had to be good at communication. So I trained myself to be better.”

He paid close attention and implemented what he saw and learned. “They taught us how to speak in a professional manner, which is concise and direct, and I implemented it during my junior year, and I saw improvement.”

A good indication of the impact Kira made at Rhombus Power that summer is that his internship this summer is with It's going to be with them again, but this time at the Palo Alto office, which promises to provide even more broadening experiences.

Study abroad in Spain

The Hixon Scholarship will also enable Kira to study abroad his fall, and he was determined to take advantage of the opportunity.

“When I interact with different people in the professional world, whether through jobs or networking events, they always say to study abroad, that it's an experience you can’t get any other way. You will meet different people and learn to adapt to different situations, and that will help you in the future. Students who study abroad are more successful.”

And so, Kira will follow his internship in Palo Alto with a semester in Barcelona. He is going with his suite mates, including his roommate Nebiyou.

“It is going to be great. We were all motivated to explore Europe. Even though for me it's a study abroad experience at William & Mary, it will be different in Spain, and getting the opportunity for that different experience in life was something not to miss.”

Principled Leadership & Compassionate Global Citizen

Although Kira’s track record of success and hard work and accomplishments are all reasons to earn notice, much less accolades, the biggest impact Kira makes is not as easily listed on LinkedIn, but no less essential to success in life.

And anyone who meets him senses this.

One thing that stands out on his resume is that he was a U.S. Army ROTC Cadet his freshman year. That is not something that one would expect from an international student. But hearing Kira’s reasoning, it makes perfect sense. “I joined because I wanted to develop discipline and leadership skills, and I was also interested in military training as a way to help others. Even though I’m an international student, I saw it as a unique opportunity to grow and contribute in a meaningful way.
"ROTC opened up opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise, like getting involved in the Hacking for Defense program. That experience ended up tying in really well with my internship, and the team there really appreciated the background and perspective I brought because of it. ROTC challenged me, taught me a lot about myself, and gave me tools I still use today.”

Kira took ECON 150 his freshman year with Peter Atwater Adjunct Professor of Economics, and says it had a great impact as a class – “It was great!” -- but that he has also appreciated staying in touch with Atwater to update him each semester on what he’s doing. Kira’s impact on Atwater has been just as powerful.

“I am a huge fan of Kira. As you would expect, I have seen many examples, both in and out of class, where his courage and character have stood out. There is a maturity and a clear-headedness to Kira that sets him apart.”

Although meeting the Hixons is not part of the scholarship application process or experience, Kira took the opportunity while he was in D.C. for the Summer Institute to reach out to Kate Hixon on LinkedIn and invited her for breakfast. He wanted to learn more about her work and her experiences in Africa.

“I was incredibly impressed with Kira when I met him,” Hixon recalls. “He is involved in so much on campus I don’t know how he manages to balance it all. I really admire his drive and ambition and determination to make the most of his time at W&M. I also really appreciate his willingness to make sure other people in his life benefit from this opportunity.”

And maybe that is the surest sign of Kira’s potential. Even more than the skills he is acquiring and the people he is meeting, he always has at his core that determination ‘to make sure other people in his life benefit from this opportunity.’

Whatever his sister’s motivation, she pointed him toward the perfect university and launchpad.
As for where that launchpad leads in the future, as Kate Hixon says: “I’m super excited to see what Kira does next!”