Baumann Essay Prize Awarded to Mikel de Julián ’25
Mikel de Julián ’25 received the Frederick , which recognizes excellence in education by encouraging Ƶ College students to explore ideas and society in an interdisciplinary and historical context.
De Julián, from Madrid, Spain, is a rising senior pursuing an economics and history double major with a statistics concentration. His essay titled “Historicizing Zionism: Ideas of Jewishness in Early Zionist Thought,” considers how early Zionists understood Jewish identity and how they transformed it from a religious construct to a national and racial one.
“This essay was part of my attempt to come to terms with the soul-crushing images coming out of Gaza,” shares de Julián. “Its original purpose was self-clarification on the history of Zionism and the state of Israel. I decided to submit it to the Baumann Essay Prize only after the writing was well underway.
“In retrospect,” continues de Julián, “writing this essay has been a great opportunity to independently develop an understanding of a politically relevant historical question. It has taught me a lot about the intricacies of the research process, particularly in the field of intellectual history.”
As a member of Ƶ College and the town community, de Julián works in the Spanish lab and volunteers at the elementary school as a mentor. He also teaches English at the middle school to Spanish-speaking students. He is currently pursuing a Mentored Advanced Project in the economics department with Associate Professor Logan Lee in the field of economics of crime.
De Julián shared that the cash prize has been donated to a carrying out humanitarian work inside the Gaza strip. After his graduation in May 2025, he plans to enter graduate school to pursue a Ph.D., possibly in economic history.
“Historicizing Zionism: Ideas of Jewishness in Early Zionist Thought” and other Baumann Essay Prize writings can be found on Digital Ƶ: .
The Baumann Essay Prize, established in 1993 and funded by David ’51 aԻ Audrey Lowe ’52 Hammer, distinguishes the dynamic classroom contributions of Frederick Baumann, professor of history at Ƶ from 1927 to 1954. The prize is awarded each spring to the student, from any discipline and any class year, who writes the best original essay — taking an interdisciplinary and historical approach — on the general topic of “Ideas and Society.” For additional information about the award, please contact Ann Landstrom, fellowship advisor.