Baumann Essay Prize Awarded to Mikel de Julián ’25

Aug 8, 2024

Mikel de Julián ’25 received the Frederick Baumann Essay Prize Award, which recognizes excellence in education by encouraging Grinnell 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 Grinnell 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 non-profit organization 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 Grinnell: Baumann Essay Prize Writing | Digital Grinnell.

The Baumann Essay Prize, established in 1993 and funded by David ’51 and Audrey Lowe ’52 Hammer, distinguishes the dynamic classroom contributions of Frederick Baumann, professor of history at Grinnell 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.


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