Two UNC seniors win Rhodes Scholarships

[ThoughtProvoking]

<p>UNC-Chapel Hill again had two seniors (both Morehead-Cain scholars) win Rhodes Scholarships.</p>

<p>From UNC News Services:</p>

<p>

Elizabeth Blair “Libby” Longino has interned with a microcredit program in Vietnam, helped start a group combating child prostitution in Cambodia and completed an Outward Bound Wilderness Expedition in the Pacific Northwest.</p>

<p>Henry Lawlor Spelman has worked in refugee camps in Tanzania, tutored underprivileged high school students and trekked more than 125 miles in Washington’s Olympic Mountains.</p>

<p>These and other highlights of their undergraduate years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have helped win both seniors Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University in England. They were among 32 American college students selected Saturday (Nov. 21) for the prestigious honor, perhaps the world’s most competitive in higher education.</p>

<p>Worth an average of $50,000, the scholarship funds two to four years of graduate study at Oxford, depending on the scholar’s discipline. More than 1,500 students each year seek their institution’s endorsement to seek the Rhodes; this year, 805 were endorsed by 326 different colleges and universities. Selection committees in each of 16 U.S. districts then invited the strongest applicants to interview for the scholarship.</p>

<p>Since the U.S. Rhodes program began in 1904, 45 Carolina students have received Rhodes Scholarships – the second most among all top public research universities. This year marks the sixth time that Carolina has had two Rhodes winners in the same year.</p>

<p>Since 2000, Carolina has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other state-supported university, and the ninth most of any public or private school. Over the past five years, UNC has tied for fifth overall in production of Rhodes Scholars, ahead of several Ivy League schools. Only Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Princeton produced more Rhodes winners than Carolina during that period.

</p>

<p>Full news release: [UNC</a> News - Two UNC seniors win Rhodes Scholarships](<a href=“http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/3129/1/]UNC”>http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/3129/1/)</p>

[annn]

<p>even cuter - they’re dating!</p>

[eadad]

<p>Also from the article:</p>

<p>

Since 1957, when the first Morehead Scholars graduated from UNC, the University has produced 30 Rhodes Scholars. Of those, 27 have been Morehead (now Morehead-Cain) Scholars.

</p>

[Harambee]

<p>^Wow, that’s pretty interesting. I’m not surprised since most Morehead Scholars are smart, talented, and passionate students, but 90% of UNC’s Rhodes Scholars being Moreheads is really high. </p>

<p>It’s also really cool that the two scholars from UNC this year were dating.</p>

[cloying]

<p>I can’t help it, I hate that it’s the Moreheads who win everything.</p>

<p>It’s not at all that I don’t think they deserve it. They totally do. It’s just that it makes it look like the rest of the University isn’t doing anything! And they are, I guess. But if you look at the leaders of all the most recognized organizations they’re all Moreheads or Robertsons or Carolina Scholars or something. I don’t know why that doesn’t sit well with me. And I could be totally wrong on this.</p>

<p>This is an example of me just throwing a thought out there just based off some impressions. :)</p>

[eadad]

<p>The Morehead and Robertson by design attract exceptional kids who otherwise would probably be somewhere else (HPYS and the like) and more likely than not winning the Rhodes Scholarship at the other schools. Be happy for the notoriety, publicity and cachet that their winning brings to UNC. It makes you all look good. ;)</p>

<p>The fact that they end up being campus leaders should surprise no one; their potential for leadership is one of the main reasons they were selected for their respective scholarships.</p>