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The Rice Thresher
Phone:
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by LISA LAW THRESHER STAFF
The Luce Scholars Program notified its recipients Monday. Similar in caliber to the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, the Luce Program selects individuals who have not received any significant education in Asian studies and languages. Those chosen must be younger than 29 with at least a bachelor's degree. Based on the recipient's interests and preferences, the Luce Foundation selects an appropriate location for the award winner. Countiss hopes to study transportation public policy in China, though she looks forward to working in any country. "When I was 16 I spent three weeks in China, and it was one of the more challenging experiences because it was the first time I had gone to a non-Western country," Countiss said. "When I came back, I became much more focused in American government and American history. In the fall of '98, I went to London and spent a semester studying British history and seeing how that affects American history and American government. Now, I'm ready to look at Asia and look at the United States from Asia's perspective. "Another reason why I chose to apply for this scholarship is that when I was looking at my options for next year, this was the most challenging option that was available to me," Countiss said. "This challenged my perception of the United States, challenged my perception in people in general, and challenged the idea of what I wanted to do with my career." Rice's Committee of Scholarships and Awards nominated Countiss for the award in November. An initial interview was conducted in January, followed by six 45-minute interviews Feb. 25 in Washington, D.C. Panelists interviews 15 students out of the 45 national finalists in Washington, D.C., then selected 6 scholarship winners that day. Other finalists were interviewed at two other locations. Unlike other large scholarship foundations, the Luce Program grants only 66 colleges and universities in the nation the opportunity to nominate students for the award. Rice and the University of Texas at Austin are the only schools in Texas participate in the nomination process. "Most of the winners of the Luce were people who have already begun a career and are pretty well-established," said Mark Scheid, the Executive Director of International Programs and Scholarships. "To win a Luce that only gives 18 in the nation out of 66 schools and win as a senior in college is very difficult. Anne, to my knowledge, is the first we've ever had to win as an undergraduate." Rice has had two finalists for the Luce scholarship in the last three years. Although any student at Rice can apply, only two or three from each school can be nominated each year. Rice nominated no one last year as no students were interested in the opportunity. This year, Countiss was the only applicant from Rice. Scheid said for major scholarships like the Luce, many people think that the more applicants the better. However, he said this is not necessarily true. "What you don't want to do is talk someone into applying for a scholarship. That's why Anne chose wisely when she decided not to apply for the Rhodes scholarship - she wanted the Luce. It's important to think about what's important for you." - back -
This document may be distributed electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted without the express written permission of: The Rice Thresher, Rice University MS-524, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892, USA. The Thresher Online Project -- ethresh@listserv.rice.edu |
