Wabash College student Hayden Kammer ’24 earned a Fulbright open study/research award to Latvia.
Kammer will be based at the Baltic International Academy in Riga, Latvia, with the goal of addressing men’s mental health needs. The curriculum offered will allow him to study in the areas of crisis psychology, conflict resolution, social cognition, and psychological counseling.
A native of Schererville, Indiana, Kammer majored in psychology and minored in theater. He was a member of the Glee Club and Dork Club, the Wabash tabletop gaming club, and held an officer’s position with the group in each of 
the last two years. He presented at the Celebration of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work and was a staff writer with The Bachelor, the independent campus newspaper. Kammer was a cast member for the theater department’s production of “As You Like It” in October 2022 and “Something Rotten!” in November 2023.
“Earning this means the world to me,” said Kammer. “Hearing that I was awarded a Fulbright to study men’s mental health was a validation by the U.S. and Latvian governments. It inspires me to launch my career into helping men all across the world deal with concepts of what masculinity means in a world where that idea changes, and how to outgrow toxic norms in favor of newer ones.”
During his Wabash career, Kammer has participated in two immersion learning experiences, one a study of Civil Rights in the U.S. with professors Shamira Gelbman and Heidi Winters Vogel, the other a study of theater in New York City with professor Jim Cherry. He also studied abroad during the Spring 2023 semester at Harlaxton College in England.
He first became interested in the Latvian culture during an international tour by the Glee Club in 2023 to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
“Coincidentally, I accompanied the Glee Club on the Baltics tour and witnessed the many ways in which our group – and Hayden – interacted with Latvian citizens,” said Susan Albrecht, Wabash College Fellowship Advisor. “One of the most profound events was when our students shared a meal and an evening with Riga-based vocal performance group Anima. They extended incredible hospitality, taught us a beautiful Latvian folk song, and spontaneously sang along with our guys on a number of ‘70s and ‘80s American pop songs. It was a remarkable evening, followed by two additional days exploring Riga. His experiences there piqued Hayden’s curiosity for investigating Latvia as a potential study destination and allowed him to write with meaning about the value he would see in a Fulbright 
there.”
After completing the Fulbright, Kammer plans to remain in Latvia for a year to earn a master's degree in psychology, which would grant him licensure in Latvia and allow him to practice in Europe.
The Fulbright open study/research award program allows recipients to design their own projects and work with mentors at foreign universities, non-profits, cultural organizations, or other research institutes. The study/research awards are available in approximately 140 countries.
Kammer is among the many Wabash men who have earned highly competitive fellowships in the last decade, including the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Obama Voyager, Yenching, Goldwater, and Point Foundation Flagship Scholarships. Additionally, Wabash students have earned the Center for the Study of Presidency and Congress’ Presidential Fellowship, U.K. Fulbright Summer Institute placement, and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, to go with 29 Gilman, and 28 Fulbright Scholarships.