In a conference room on the Seattle University campus in November, students anxiously awaited the return of the judges they had spoken with nearly three hours before, chatting with one another and playing cards to pass the time. Poised in a corner near a charging outlet sat Nayantara Arora, a University of Oregon senior who had no idea her life would change forever.
Upon the judges’ arrival, bringing significant news, the room seemed to take a collective breath. A man pulled a singular piece of paper from his jacket pocket, the words containing the results of the Rhodes Scholarship competition.
“In that moment, I was very content with whatever decision was going to be made,” Arora said. “And when I heard my name, I think I just blanked. I didn’t hear anything else because of the blood rushing in my ears. There was a silence in the room, and then it was chaos.”
Established in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarship is the most prolonged standing and one of the most esteemed international scholarship programs around the globe. It eliminates the cost of two to three years of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. The Rhodes Scholarship also includes a stipend to cover the cost of living expenses, as well as an allowance that grants students the opportunity to settle into their new surroundings.
“I think what makes it a truly life-changing moment and experience for Nayantara is you become part of an international cohort of scholars, both in her class of 2024 and those scholars dating back to the early and mid-twentieth century,” Kevin Hatfield, assistant vice provost for undergraduate research and distinguished scholarships at UO, said. “We’re talking many folks that have done wonderful change in the world and impacted the world truly on a global level.”
There were over 2,500 applicants for the Rhodes Scholarship this year alone, with 862 students earning endorsements from their universities to advance. From there, 32 were selected from that pool to join the 2024 Rhodes Scholarship class. The University of Oregon is one of five public institutions nationwide to have a Rhodes Scholar.
“I’ve worked with a ton of students who have applied for these prestigious scholarships, Rhodes, Marshall. Some have got these scholarships, and some haven’t. Nayantara was the first student where I just had this feeling she would get it,” Josh Snodgrass, UO professor of anthropology and global health, said. “I was so excited for her, but also, it was not at all surprising. It just seemed totally, cosmically right.”
Arora is currently honing her next steps, gearing up to pursue two master’s degrees in international health and tropical medicine, as well as modeling for global health. She hopes to leave a legacy that incentivizes the next generation of University of Oregon students to apply for prestigious scholarships like Rhodes.
“I just hope that the fact that I’m the first woman from UO to ever receive the Rhodes Scholarship, the first [UO] woman of color to receive the Rhodes Scholarship, the first person [from UO] in 15 years, really encourages people to consider applying for the scholarship,” Arora said. “And I’m so grateful that I got this opportunity.”
