We’re excited to welcome our first ever High School Student Scholar Fellow, Gavin Payne, to the Merlin team. Gavin has been a regular at our philosophy in the community events and is a fine young thinker with much to offer. Our film and philosophy nights have been in hibernation for a while & we are thrilled to jumpstart them again with Gavin at the helm!

— Marisa Diaz-Waian, Founder & Director of Merlin CCC

About GAVIN PAYNE

Gavin Payne is a senior at Helena High School and a regular participant at Merlin activities. The founder of the Helena High School Moral Science Club, he aims to go on to the University of Montana to study philosophy and classics. In his free time Gavin loves to read, analyze poetry, and write. Gavin will be leading the Merlin film viewing & discussion nights later this spring and is kicking off with a film adaptation of one of his favorite books, Franz Kafka’s The Trial.

About OUR FELLOWSHIPS

Merlin Student Scholar Fellowships are unique opportunities for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels (and on rare occasion, as of this year, for high school students) to cultivate their philosophical sides under the mentorship of our Fellowship team. The program is specifically designed for student scholars in Helena (and nearby areas) who value critical, creative thinking, have a knack for (or would like to develop a knack for) communicating complex and nuanced ideas in non-technical terms, believe in the importance of sharing ideas and broadening perspectives, and have a strong compassion for humanity and the environment.