Meet Our 2026-2027 Student Scholar Fellow Jess Holmes
U of M PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDED 2026-2027 FELLOWSHIP
We are delighted to announce and introduce you to our 2026-2027 Student Scholar Fellow, Jess Holmes. Over the next year, Jess will be assisting us with various philosophy in the community projects, including our 2026 Art as Transformation & 2027 Community Hubs projects, and contributing to philosophical research and writing inspired by their life experience and reflections on the human experience.
We are thrilled to welcome Jess Holmes as our 2026-2027 Student Scholar Fellow. We’re looking forward to working with them and excited for what their life experience & passions…and love of creativity, wonder & philosophical inquiry will inspire in our communities.
— Marisa Diaz-Waian, Founder & Director of Merlin CCC
About JESS HOLMES
Jess Holmes is a graduate student at the University of Montana in the Environmental Philosophy Master’s program. They moved to Missoula after graduating with a self-designed interdisciplinary degree, Environmental Problem Solving, from Webster University in St. Louis, MO. There, they were able to develop their love of philosophy further, extend those skills into other disciplines, and facilitate and present at Webster’s Undergraduate Philosophy conferences. Jess’ interests best fit within the general frameworks of feminist philosophy, decolonial theory, and animal ethics.
Outside of academia, Jess’ focus is on rescue animals, varying creative endeavors, and spending time outdoors, preferably in or near water. They have led classes in animal behavior and are a passionate advocate for anti-speciest thought. Lyanna, Catelina, and Yara are their three rescue dogs who help fuel this work.
Jess is currently working on their first book, which embodies their passion for applied and accessible philosophy through personal narrative as a way to guide readers to a deeper understanding of the human experience.
About OUR FELLOWSHIPS
Merlin Student Scholar Fellowships are unique opportunities for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels 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.
