As she strolled through Central Park this past November, the Associated Students Inc. president and political science and communications double major was equally energized after finishing her final, in-person interview for the prestigious Schwarzman Scholars graduate fellowship program.
Days after one of the nation’s most intriguing political elections of 2025 ended, Fresno State senior Camalah Saleh was still feeling the energy in the air from the New York City mayoral campaign.
A week later, she received the good news of her acceptance into the fully-funded master’s degree program in Beijing, China focused on Chinese and global affairs. The one-year program will start in August 2026 at Schwarzman College on the Tsinghua University campus and features a curriculum and faculty from globally-recognized international universities aimed at helping students develop leadership skills and positively shape future politics.
Saleh is one of 150 accepted students, hailing from 40 countries and 83 universities, who were recently announced. The 11th class of scholars was selected from a record-breaking pool of over 5,800 applicants.
Saleh has had a lifelong interest in global affairs, partly because most of her family immigrated from the Middle Eastern country of Yemen. Her father, Sofyan Saleh, first arrived in Sanger in 1996. The rest of the family followed in 2007 when Camalah was 3, and the second-youngest of six sisters and brothers.
“China and the United States impact every sector of the world, so it is an exciting program to be a part of,” Saleh said. “I’m interested in a career tied to immigration law and policy, so meeting other students, speakers and residents there will give me important insight into different professions and help me create a deeper, global perspective.”
Scholars will also travel to other parts of China to visit government offices, leading companies and cultural sites, and take part in professional mentoring, internships, experiential learning and career development activities. The master’s degree includes a capstone project that is either a global affairs-related research paper, case study or policy analysis that can be individual or team-based.
Her honor was the first by a Fresno State student and the third by any California State University student.
In the application process, Saleh submitted an essay discussing her interest in immigration law and explained how learning about China’s immigration system will better inform her perspective and worldview when she is in a position to influence related policies.
She also submitted a leadership-focused essay about her role in the founding of the Students for Palestinian Liberation organization at Fresno State. As the world watched war unfold in the Gaza Strip, she helped coordinate peaceful demonstrations and other efforts to connect students and campus administration to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis and promote the need for a ceasefire.
In the interview process, she followed the guidance of political science faculty Dr. Lisa Bryant and Dr. Everett Vieira, as well as Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, to help prepare for her interviews.
The faculty were equally instrumental the year before in helping her prepare and apply to become a finalist for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which funds an American master’s degree program in public service or the nonprofit sector.
This year, she has been busy serving as the student body president and working with student vice presidents and senators on initiatives such as expanding student research travel funds and library access; improving ASI election promotion; facilitating a student mural; and advocating for the creation of more classes and other resources that enhance student life on campus and reduce food insecurity.
“It’s been rewarding to advocate for student needs through ASI,” Saleh said. “Representatives only have one-year terms, and the (campus) governmental process takes a lot of time, and so we are constantly learning and creating new ways to support students.”
Among other campus activities, she has interned for The Maddy Institute, and she is a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College, President’s Muslim Leadership Council, Pi Sigma Alpha political science honors society, Lambda Pi Eta national communication honors society and League of Women Voters campus chapter.
Her interest in serving the community and the Central Valley led to internships with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office and Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell, and internships with U.S. Representative Linda Sanchez and Senator Alex Padilla. In the latter experience, she not only learned about the complex network of federal politics but also attended briefings on international relations, including those on China.
“Both the U.S. and China are key players that are trying to shape an ever-changing world,” Saleh said. “I appreciate all the guidance from my mentors and faculty who have helped make these experiences possible. They have taught me that effective leaders learn about issues from different vantage points, and especially from constituents themselves, to better understand their needs and create more effective policy.”
