UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Seven Penn State students were nominated for the 2027 Rhodes, Marshall and Churchill scholarships, among the most prestigious and competitive awards available to U.S. students.
The Rhodes Scholarship supports students in pursuing graduate study at the University of Oxford. As one of the oldest and most competitive awards of its type, it recognizes students motivated to change and address global challenges. The Marshall Scholarship, founded in 1953, supports American students offering one to three years of graduate study in the United Kingdom to study in any field at a university of their choice in the U.K. The Churchill Scholarship provides funding to American students for a year of master's study in science, mathematics and engineering at the University of Cambridge, based at Churchill College.
The following Penn State students have been recognized as nominees for the Rhodes, Marshall and Churchill Scholarships:
- Oluwaseni Johnson, human-centered design and development, College of Information Sciences and Technology; Schreyer Honors College
- Kaitlyn Konopka, physics and mathematics majors, engineering leadership development minor, Eberly College of Science; Schreyer Honors College
- Laenee McCoy, anthropology and art history majors, Koren language minor, College of the Liberal Arts and College of Arts and Architecture; Schreyer Honors College
- Matias Moreno, materials science and engineering, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Kestian Orsetti, mechanical engineering and mathematics major, Italian and physics minors, College of Engineering and Eberly College of Science; Schreyer Honors College
- Timothy Reardon, computer engineering major, quantum information science and engineering and cybersecurity computational foundations minors, College of Engineering and Eberly College of Science; Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps
- Arnav Sardesai, mechanical engineering, College of Engineering; Schreyer Honors College
The nomination process
Students must be nominated by the University to apply for the Rhodes, Marshall or Churchill scholarships. Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM) guides students in determining which awards best match their goals, supports potential nominees with their application materials and prepares them for interviews with the help of the Penn State U.K. Awards Nomination Committee.
Nominees will submit their materials to the national review committees, and finalists will be invited to interview in November.
URFM seeks students with outstanding academic excellence, leadership, courage and a commitment to making change. The nominees for the Rhodes, Marshall and Churchill awards have already met these distinguished expectations, showing their hard work and accomplishments. Beyond the nomination itself, prior applicants say the skills developed from the rigorous process, such as the essay, resume and interview preparation develop valuable growth. For all applicants, whether or not they receive the award, the process provides knowledge and preparation for future academic and personal goals.
Students interested in pursuing a prestigious scholarship should meet with an adviser in URFM to discuss the process.
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring, part of Penn State Undergraduate Education, empowers students to engage in inquiry and discovery by connecting them with research opportunities, guiding them through the research landscape and supporting them in pursuing nationally and internationally competitive fellowships.