Off to Oxford

Rosanna Nicol loves the close-knit community at King's. (Nick Pearce Photo)

Rosanna Nicol had just arrived home from her interview when she got the call: she got the scholarship. And not just any scholarship: a Rhodes scholarship.

“So my roommates cranked up the dance music and we had a dance party,” she says, laughing. “I was totally overwhelmed.”

The University of King’s College student expects to finish her undergraduate degree in economics and history in the next few months and begin studies at Oxford University in England in September. She plans to take her master’s degree in development.

Ms. Nicol, 22, from Ottawa, Ont. is one of 11 Canadian recipients of the 2009 Rhodes scholarship. One of the world’s most prestigious scholarships, the Rhodes covers all expenses for two years of study at one of the world’s oldest universities (it was founded in the 12th century).

The scholarships were created in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, British philanthropist and African colonial pioneer. They recognize success in academics and sports, as well as community service.

Ms. Nicol, who has maintained a grade point average of “4-point-something,” has been active in campus life; she plays with the Dal/King’s Ultimate Frisbee team, sings with the King’s College Chapel Choir and volunteers with World University Service of Canada (WUSC). Last year, she was successful in bringing in a student levy at King’s to support WUSC’s student refugee program.

After completing the Foundation Year Program at King’s, she spent six months volunteering overseas with the OSU Children’s Library Fund in Ghana, a small grassroots NGO which brings books and literacy skills to African children and adults. While in Ghana, she worked in a library, taught French to children and coached a girls’ soccer team.

She says she applied for the Rhodes on the suggestion of King’s President William Barker, and also gives a shout-out to Dalhousie professors Amal Ghazal in the Department of History and Ruth Forsdyke in the Department of Economics for their encouragement and inspiration.

“They really challenge your thinking,” she says. “If you can bring something to the table you’ve thought about and researched, they’ll give it a chance. I find that totally inspiring.”