The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford. It was established in 1902, making it the first large-scale programme of international scholarship.
The Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to outstanding all-rounded students and provide full funding for two to three years of study at the University of Oxford. The scholarship aspires to create ‘leaders for the world’s future’ and are achievement-based awards open to students with proven intellectual and academic attainment of a high standard who show exceptional character, leadership, achievement in extra-curricular activities and a commitment to service for the public good.
Rhodes Scholars are able to work with world class academics in their field as well as an international alumni network that includes heads of state, Pulitzer Prize winning authors, Nobel Prize Winners and Olympians.
Each year, two Kenyan Scholars are selected to join 98 other Rhodes Scholars from around the world at the University of Oxford. The two Kenyan Rhodes Scholars-elect for 2019 who were selected last year are Claudia Kahindi and Martin Wachiye Wafula. They will commence their course of study at the University of Oxford in October 2019.
Claudia is a Development Assistant at Legal Outreach, an educational non-profit in New York City. She graduated from Wesleyan University with an African Studies Minor and Honors from the College of Social Studies – a multidisciplinary major of History, Government, Economics, and Social Theory/Political Philosophy. Claudia attended Wesleyan through the help of Kenya Scholar Athlete Project (KenSAP), which made her realize the significance of access programmes. While at Wesleyan, she launched an educational project in her hometown Kilifi and served as; Senator of the Wesleyan Student Assembly, Residential Advisor, KenSAP President, and Member the African Students Association Board, and the Patricelli Centre for Social Entrepreneurship Board. At Oxford, she hopes to pursue the Bachelor of Jurisprudence and connect her passion for social entrepreneurship with law.
Martin is a happy and social young Kenyan. He has developed great interest in emerging communications technologies and next generation networks. While at Oxford, he aspires to participate in cutting edge research in these areas. He is currently an IT Risk Assurance Associate at Pricewaterhouse Coopers Ltd Kenya and has previously taught diploma students in electrical and telecommunication engineering at Multimedia University of Kenya. The community is at the centre of Martin’s heart. They carry out community outreach to empower young people in schools especially the boy child in Kajiado County – Ngong area in Kenya. This programme is aimed at fostering innovation, improving education and protecting young boys against drug abuse and school dropouts. Martin loves singing in choirs and reciting Swahili poems. He is also a rotaractor and loves MATLAB.
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