Rice College
A Rice College pupil was named certainly one of 32 U.S. recipients of the celebrated Rhodes Scholarship — and the one Texas pupil to obtain the award this 12 months.
The complete-time scholarship program from the Rhodes Belief is a world-renowned and totally funded postgraduate award that permits proficient college students to check on the College of Oxford.
Sixteen committees throughout the U.S. chosen the recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship in a aggressive course of. Almost 3,000 college students utilized, with 865 endorsed by 243 schools and universities, in keeping with Rice College. In complete, 238 had been chosen as finalists and a bunch of 32 college students from the USA had been awarded the scholarship.
The scholarship was established in 1902 via the need of Cecil Rhodes. Candidates are chosen by their tutorial excellence, in keeping with Rice College.
Jae Kim, a senior majoring in Integrative Biology, is the college’s thirteenth recipient of the scholarship. He’s the founding father of Hermes Free Telehealth — a student-run nonprofit group that connects clinicians to underserved sufferers. He was chosen to check on the College of Oxford in England subsequent fall.
“I wish to change into a doctor however work on the forefront of local weather coverage,” Kim instructed Houston Public Media. “Simply convey to the world’s consideration [to] how human well being and the pure surroundings are interconnected.”
In 2025, Kim will spend two years on the College of Oxford whereas he pursues twin Grasp of Science levels in environmental change and administration, and evidence-based social intervention and coverage analysis.
Kim credit his management expertise, his time working in the neighborhood and his bold profession objectives for aiding him within the scholarship utility course of.
“I solely came upon about it final 12 months and I utilized since you miss all of the pictures you don’t take, but it surely simply appeared so unthinkable and out of attain so I believe I’m nonetheless shocked, however I used to be extremely honored that I used to be in a position to get this scholarship,” Kim stated.
He was born in Korea and grew up in New York Metropolis, attributing his success to alternatives he had in Houston and Rice College — the place he interned on the Harris County Workplace of Sustainability via the Management Rice Mentorship program.
He stated his most memorable experiences had been the summers he spent volunteering and conducting conservation initiatives at a wolf sanctuary in Colorado.
“Each time I’m going, it simply jogs my memory that I’m related with the pure world and all of the animals and vegetation and ecosystems which can be on this planet, and it simply reaffirms my need to pursue a profession the place I might help,” Kim stated.
The U.S. recipients of the scholarship will be a part of a world group of scholars chosen from greater than 70 nations around the globe. The belief, with scholarships averaging $75,000 per 12 months, covers all school and college charges.
Kim stated he might have utilized to check in Oxford exterior of the scholarship, however the community of individuals throughout the self-discipline of Rhodes opened alternatives for him.
“I might have utilized to Oxford from exterior of the Rhodes scholarship and pursued the grasp’s levels regardless, however simply the community of wonderful individuals throughout the self-discipline that the Rhodes scholarship opened as much as me, with the ability to join with them personally,” he stated. “Simply gaining a world perspective on the problems I care about is thrilling to me.”
Lucio Vasquez contributed to this report.
