The British Consulate in San Francisco interviewed two University seniors last Monday in the final round of the Marshall Scholarship selection process.
Josh Lupton, a biology and human physiology double-major, and Lindsay Short, a history major, are both finalists for the prestigious award’s 2011 allotment which, throughout the program’s 55-year history, has only been awarded to three University students.
Both students are prepared to depart for the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom if they receive news announcing their selection next week.
Up to 40 Marshall Scholars from the U.S. are chosen every year as part of a living legacy instated in 1953 by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in memory of George Catlett Marshall, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff during World War II and the post-war European Recovery Plan, or Marshall Plan, progenitor. The scholarships cover university fees, cost-of-living expenses, books and research fees for two years, and offer the possibility for one-year extensions.
During their time as undergraduates, Lupton and Short succeeded in academics both earning GPAs above 4.0, much of the credit for which they modestly defer to the instructors and advisors who have assisted them throughout their educational pursuits.
Lupton, who is a Robert D. Clark Honors College student, said the University staff and faculty members he has befriended during his studies deserve part of the glory of his nomination.
“Any measure of success as far as the award goes is in equal parts due to the professors and administrators here at the UO,” Lupton said. “As much as it reflects on me, it should reflect on the UO as a whole.”
Short shares Lupton’s emphatic feelings of gratitude and described her preparation for the selection process between herself and University faculty.
“Once I received word that I was a finalist, the U of O staff has continued to be nothing but helpful,” she said. “This was really a team effort involving myself, many helpful professors and U of O staff, and I think of it as a victory for all of us.”
Both finalists said the value and importance they place on cultivating their education and honing their professional skills has been a catalyzing factor throughout the process, pushing them to welcome new academic challenges.
“Education is the path to get to (the next) level,” Lupton said. “Not just with knowledge but with the perspectives you gain in a college setting.”
Short also expressed how much her University education means to her.
“I could not imagine my life without considering the education I’ve received,” she said. “I just really love school … (and) it’s exciting to me to continue to learn new things. I love the challenge that comes with schoolwork, and I’m sure not ready for my education to end just yet.”
As an extra-curricular outlet for his studies, Lupton works with Volunteers in Medicine, a Lane County-based provider of free primary medical care and mental health services to the county’s more than 75,000 residents living without health insurance. Should he be selected for the scholarship and attend Cambridge, the senior hopes to return stateside to become a doctor.
“My ultimate goal is a physician … working more at the patient level,” Lupton said.
In contrast, Short wants to study alongside 450 other history graduate students in Cambridge’s impressive history program, the size and reputation of which has made the school the primary selection for where she wants to earn her next degree.
“To study at any U.K. university would be fantastic, but the University of Cambridge would be my first choice,” Short said. “Obviously its reputation is top-notch, and it has tremendous resources, but specifically for me, the size of the history program is a big draw … I can hardly imagine studying at a university that has shaped so many gifted minds and accomplished men and women.”
David Hubin, a senior assistant to University President Richard Lariviere, said Lariviere’s appointment as University president breathed new life into the school’s commitment to ensuring that students eligible for distinguished scholarships were pushed to apply.
“Letting students know about (these awards) is a high priority in his educational agenda,” Hubin said. “It reflects very positively (that) there are students here in our classrooms who could be anywhere, and who could compete anywhere.”
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