WASHINGTON — A D.C. native who now attends Harvard University just won the coveted 2022 Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford.
Samantha "Sam" O'Sullivan is one of 32 Americans to be named a Rhodes Scholar. The Rhodes Trust says this year's class includes 22 women, the most of any class of scholars.
We first introduced to you O'Sullivan in 2018, when she was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools. During her time in D.C. O'Sullivan maintained a 4.34 GPA during her time at the School Without Walls and was class president for three years.
Now at Harvard, O'Sullivan has a joint concentration in Physics and African-American Studies and will pursue Master's degrees in the philosophy of physics and applied linguistics.
First awarded in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and perhaps most prestigious international scholarship program, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.
Rhodes Scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study at the university, which is ranked the No. 1 university in the world according to some global rankings.
Elliott Gerson, American Secretary for the Rhodes Trust, described this year's class in a press release.
“This year’s Rhodes Scholars representing the United States–elected by 16 committees around the country meeting simultaneously–will go to England next October to study in fields across the full breadth of the University of Oxford. They are inspiring young leaders already, and we are confident that their contributions to public welfare nationally and globally will expand exponentially over the course of their careers in varied sectors and disciplines.”
To date, 3,578 Americans have won Rhodes Scholarships. Women were first allowed to apply in 1976, and 627 women have received scholarships since then.
Some famous Rhodes scholars include former president Bill Clinton, journalist Bill Bradley, astronomer Edwin Hubble, musician Kris Kristofferson, and television host and political commentator Rachel Maddow.