Rhodes hopefuls await decision

Two Carolina Students have been named finalists for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, and will find out if they will spend the next two years at Oxford University Saturday night.

There have been nine winners from USC, and this year, they have a chance to add two more to the list with Gurjeet “Jeet” Guram and Joseph “Joey” Montoya.

Guram, a Baccalaureus Artium et Scientiae major, is studying biology, economics and political science and plans to attend medical school.

“If I win the award I’ll defer medical school for two years and attend Oxford and study about changing health care policies and medicine”. Guram is the founder of the University’s Roosevelt Institution, a non-partisan policy think tank, and he is a Carolina Scholar. When asked who most inspires him, Guram said he looks to previous Rhodes scholar, Atul Gawande.

“He does what I want to do, he’s involved in health care and had written columns for the New Yorker.”

Montoya is pursuing dual degrees in chemical engineering and mathematics, with a minor in music performance. Montoya’s interest in catalysis and lab research, with Christopher Williams and John Monnier in the University’s department of chemical engineering, led to his being published in the scientific journal, Catalysis Today.

“If I win I’m hoping to attend Oxford to research sustainable chemical processing, and hopefully find more environmentally friendly processes,” Montoya said.

He is an Honors College student and is also a Carolina Scholar.

The Rhodes scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards a student can receive. Named after Cecil Rhodes, the award allows recipients to study in England at Oxford University for two years. The scholarship is open to students from many countries, making the recipients often thought of as the most talented students in the world. Only 32 awards are given out. Since its conception in 1902, there have been over 7,000 recipients of the scholarship, including notable names such as Bill Clinton and Dean Rusk, former Secretary of State. If you think that applying for the Rhodes is like most other scholarships with a short essay and a letter of recommendation, think again.

“It’s a long process,” Montoya said. “You start off with an online application where you have to fill out a lot of personal information, a 1,000 word statement and a resume that is set up focusing on academic achievement”.

In addition to all of this, students must be endorsed by their University, and submit anywhere from five to eight letters of recommendations.

Guram and Montoya began their applications long before they were due — Guram said he started the process in the spring of his junior year.

The Rhodes Scholars will be revealed Saturday night after final interviews.

“I’m nervous about the interview, and I’ll be disappointed about the outcome, if I don’t get it,” Montoya said. “But ultimately, we’ll be able to achieve what we want to do.”