The Webb School's McDonnell-Follin Scholars Program has named Rasmus Wolter '27 as its 2025–26 recipient. Wolter, a boarding student from Ahrensburg, Germany, will complete an intensive independent study for course credit as part of the program.

Now in its seventh year, the McDonnell-Follin Scholars Program provides Webb juniors the opportunity to conduct independent research on a topic of their choosing throughout the academic year, culminating in a presentation during Upper School Chapel in the spring. The McDonnell-Follin Scholars Program honors the late Jim McDonnell Jr. '43, who was elected to the Webb Board of Trustees in 1957 and served as chair from 1967 until 1988, a tenure longer than any other chair to date. He was named chairman emeritus and a member of the Distinguished Alumni Society in 1993. At the program's inception, McDonnell shared that—as a student in the 1940s—Webb Follin Sr. (Class of 1908) had made a lasting impact on him as an educator. It was this influence that inspired the creation of a program that would foster academic collaboration between teachers and students today.

Wolter will be mentored by English Department Chair Kevin Finn, whose interdisciplinary background and leadership of Webb’s Civic Engagement Club will provide a strong foundation for the project. Wolter will explore how the cultural climate of the Weimar Republic contributed to the rise of fascism and how fascism reshaped German culture. Drawing on his background as a German-American and his early education in Germany, he seeks to understand the societal and psychological factors that contributed to the shift from democratic instability to authoritarianism. His study will encompass readings and analyses of literature, philosophy, art, and film from the period, and build upon prior conversations about politics, culture, and the conditions that facilitate the emergence of extremism.

Previous McDonnell-Follin Scholars include:

• 2018–19: Amy Chen and Ella Harris
• 2019–20: Mollie Kate Creech and Feynman Liu
• 2020–21: No recipients due to the COVID pandemic
• 2021–22: Abby Hagan and Alisyn Parfait
• 2022–23: Cy Nash
• 2023–24: Julia Callaway
• 2024–25: Sophia Bain and Kat Mosier