USC may soon add another laurel to its long list of notable achievements: a 10th Rhodes Scholar. Jory Fleming, a fourth-year geography and marine science student, has been named a finalist for the renowned scholarship.
The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world, with 32 students from the United States selected each year. The scholarship provides full financial support for graduate study at the University of Oxford in England.
Fleming already has a long history of impressive scholarships. He has received eight different external scholarships since arriving at USC, most notably being named a Goldwater Scholar and a Truman Scholar during his third year.
Although Fleming’s academic accomplishments are quite impressive, his volunteer experiences were most significant in shaping his career goals. He emphasized the value of making small impacts and the insights that he gained from working with Cocky’s Reading Express, a USC organization in which Cocky and USC students travel across the state reading to children in public elementary schools.
“Being able to make a difference on some challenge, even in a small way, is something that is not only meaningful, but something that I want to do in my career,” Fleming said.
Fleming’s professors have spoken highly of his commitment to education and community outreach.
“The thing that I see he gets really most excited about is working with other students,” said Joe Jones, a research associate professor in the Arnold School of Public Health.
Jones also highlighted some of Fleming’s outreach into local schools.
“His main impact ... is getting kids excited about the ocean,” he said.
Other faculty members have expressed great confidence in Fleming’s chances at receiving the scholarship.
“The Rhodes Scholarship, it seemed like a natural fit, given his overall acumen, his desire to have an impact on public service and his natural curiosity,” said Hamid Khan, deputy director of the Rule of Law Collaborative and mentor to Fleming throughout the process of applying for scholarships.
Jones also commented on Fleming’s chances, saying that he would be happy, but not at all surprised, if Fleming is awarded the scholarship.
Despite Fleming’s success, he remains humble, rejecting any notion that he had any special qualifications when he first began applying for scholarships. He encouraged other students at USC to apply for national scholarships.
“I don’t think students really understand how common it is for people in academia to do those types of things, to apply for that kind of stuff,” Fleming said.
Fleming will travel to Atlanta to interview for the scholarship on Nov. 18 and 19.