Coe College Has It’s First Rhodes Scholar in Over 50 Years

Each year, just 32 college students in the United States are bestowed the honor of becoming a Rhodes Scholar. For the first time in over five decades, a student from Coe College in Cedar Rapids has made that prestigious list!

Nearly 3,000 students apply for the chance to become a Rhodes Scholar and study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England according to KCCI. Only 32 make the final cut and earn the most prestigious college scholarship in the world. For the first time in 53 years, Coe College in Cedar Rapids has a Rhodes Scholarship winner! Her name is Katherine Ameku.

Ameku is a senior and a native of Independence, Missouri. KCCI reports that she is a senior majoring in mathematics and statistics. A member of the Kohawk class of 2025, Ameku is Coe's third Rhodes Scholarship finalist in the past eight years.

Rhodes scholarships are typically two to three years but may be extended to four years according to KCCI. The scholarship covers all fees, living expenses, and travel between England and the winner's location. The scholarship is valued at $75,000 annually reaching up to $250,000 if the scholar remains for four years.

KCCI reports that Ameku plans to study philosophy, politics, and economics while at Oxford.

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