A UM student and alumna are finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Senior Arielle Hudson, an English education major, Associated Student Body senator and Black Student Union president, will participate in a series of interviews in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday and Saturday. Chemical engineering graduate Chinelo Ibekwe, who currently works for Corporate Council on Africa, which encourages partnerships between American and African businesses, will be traveling to Lagos, Nigeria to interview Nov. 29 and 30.
The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious international fellowships in the world. Each year, students from all over the world are chosen not only for academic achievements but also for character and potential for leadership in future careers.
Rhodes Scholars receive the opportunity to pursue one or more degrees at the University of Oxford, paid in full with the Rhodes Trust, named after founder Cecil John Rhodes.
Ole Miss has produced 26 Rhodes Scholars. Last year, Jaz Brisack became the university’s first female recipient of the scholarship.
Hudson, who is part of the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program, said in a press release that she has thought about applying to be a Rhodes Scholar since she was in high school.
Hudson said that if she is selected as a recipient, she would pursue master’s degrees in comparative social policy and comparative international education.
Ibekwe was named a semifinalist for the Rhodes Scholarship in 2017 when she was finishing her senior year at Ole Miss. She applied again in 2018 and was named a finalist, receiving third place.
If she wins the scholarship, Ibekwe said that she would apply for postgraduate data science degrees. She said that she’s interested in how behavioral health data affects medical innovations.
