Caroline Johnson, a Rhodes College senior from Nashville, TN, has been selected for the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a $40,000 stipend for a 12-month journey to pursue an original project on a global scale. She is one of only 40 fellows chosen nationwide for 2026.
Watson Fellows have the freedom to decide where to travel and when to change course, without the need to affiliate with an academic institution or hold formal employment. The program is designed to produce a year of personal insight, perspective, and confidence.
Johnson’s project is titled “The Economic Future of Craft” and includes proposed destinations of France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Kenya, and Colombia. “My Watson year will explore how craft and tradition generate cultural and financial value through innovative business models,” said Johnson. “I’m interested in how artisanal traditions—from Colombian textiles to French couture—sustain themselves?”
A graduate of The Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Johnson is pursuing a major in economics and a minor in art history at Rhodes. She was awarded the college’s Wasfy Iskander International Internship for 2025, which allowed her to work last summer in Barcelona, Spain, with the Peace Dividend Initiative, an organization that fosters economic opportunities in conflict-affected areas. During her internship, she conducted research on the production of shea nut butter in the Central African Republic, outlined a peacebuilding business model, and drafted funding proposals for grants.
Additionally, Johnson has held internships at the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce in Bartlett, TN, and the Tennessee Department of Treasury in Nashville. She also has volunteered for fundraising efforts at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Johnson was a member of the Rhodes women’s swimming and diving team from 2022 to 2024.
The Watson Foundation was established in 1961 in honor of Thomas J. Watson Sr., best known for building IBM. Through unique programs and more than 100 global partnerships, the foundation works with students to expand their vision, develop their potential, and build the confidence and perspective to be more humane and effective leaders in the world community.
“A Watson Year produces life-changing perspective and cultural connection that shapes the arc of fellows' lives,” said Chris Kasabach, executive director of the Watson Foundation. “It’s never been more important for young leaders to engage with others across differences, disciplines and borders.”