Monday 23 November 2009
Daniel D. Shih of Aurora has won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in England, widely considered to be among the most prestigious honors in academia.
Shih majors in political science at Stanford University in California. He worked on the Obama campaign last year as field director in Albuquerque and a field organizer in five states. He also founded a campaign to improve working conditions in factories that manufacture Stanford clothing.
He plans to study international relations at Oxford with the goal of organizing people at the grass-roots level.
"I was a little overwhelmed," he said of hearing he had won. "I had trouble believing it."
A total of 32 Americans were selected from among 805 applicants from 326 colleges and universities.
Rhodes Scholars' expenses are fully covered for up to three years of study at Oxford, valued at approximately $50,000 per year. Qualifications, in addition to academic achievement, include personal integrity, physical vigor and leadership potential.