Northeastern Student Named Rhodes Scholar
Greg St. Martin and Joe O’ConnellNortheastern News
Northeastern University senior Logan Jackson has been named a Rhodes scholar, the first time in university history one of its students has received the prestigious scholarship.
Jackson, a civil engineering major, is one of 32 Rhodes scholars for the Class of 2016. The winners, who were selected Saturday by the Rhodes Trust, were chosen from 869 applicants endorsed by 316 colleges and universities. The scholarships cover all expenses for two or three years of post-graduate study at Oxford University in England, where the scholars will begin their studies next October.
“It’s pretty surprising,” Jackson said by phone Sunday night from Maryland, where she is currently working on co-op. “I’m still getting used to the news. I’m looking forward to going to England next year.”
The Rhodes scholarship is among the most prestigious awards an undergraduate student in the United States can receive. The students must demonstrate academic excellence. Other important criteria include showing great promise of leadership, being committed to make a strong difference for good in the world, and having great personal energy, ambition for impact, an ability to work with others and to achieve one’s goals.
Jonna Iacono, director of Northeastern’s Scholars Program and Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, described Jackson as a nuanced and sophisticated thinker who has displayed a great passion for learning.
“She’s amazing,” Iacono said of Jackson. “She’s intellectually voracious and academically curious. She has a distinguished academic record in a very rigorous curriculum. Every part of her academic experience, from her research to her co-op experiences, has been challenging at the highest levels.”
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