Campus Life

Texas A&M Former Student Selected As Finalist For Marshall, Rhodes Scholarships

Bianca Manago, a Texas A&M former student, was selected as an alternate for the Marshall Scholarship and a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, two of the most prestigious and highly-coveted academic scholarships in the United States.
By Krista Smith, Texas A&M Marketing & Communications December 7, 2011

Bianca Manago
Bianca Manago

(Texas A&M Honors)

Bianca Manago, a Texas A&M University former student, was selected as an alternate for the Marshall Scholarship and a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, two of the most prestigious and highly-coveted academic scholarships available to students in the United States. Manago, a native of Lansing, Kan., graduated from Texas A&M in May 2011 with degrees in sociology and philosophy.

Because of the fierce competition for these scholarships, the preliminary process to be selected as an official university nominee is rigorous, said Texas A&M Honors and Undergraduate Research officials.  Student applicants like Manago begin the process in late spring, even though the official deadline for the scholarships is in October. Applicants interview for the scholarships in November, if they are granted an interview.

Manago first applied for the scholarships during her senior year, but was not selected for an interview for either program during her first attempt.

“I started working on the applications in May and did some exercises to find out exactly who I was, what I wanted and why those study opportunities could help me reach those goals,” she said. “And the end results were better, so much more polished. I applied again and was more myself, and the result was much better, as I was asked to be interviewed for both.”

Finalist interviews for the Marshall Scholarship took place in Houston in early November; interviews for the Rhodes Scholarship spanned two days in mid-November and included a luncheon and reception in addition to the 30-minute interview.

“It’s a good experience that makes you answer tough questions and understand how you handle pressure,” Manago said about the interviews. “It’s such a great learning opportunity, since the interviewers ask really insightful questions that make you think about things.”

The best part of the experience, Manago added, was getting to meet so many people, many of whom she is certain will become leaders and innovators in their respective fields of study.

Manago said the learning experiences at Texas A&M were critical in helping her prepare for the intensity of the application process, as well as allowing her to explore the possible research and teaching opportunities in the university setting.

“The great thing about A&M is that we have a big community of people who are super supportive,” she said. “We have unique opportunities that aren’t as explicit at other universities. I was involved with student organizations where I learned leadership skills, and we have such a supportive academic community where professors really care about students and want to work with them and know what they’re doing.”

As a student at the university, Manago cofounded the social and environmental justice groups One Love and One Aggieland; she was also a 2011 recipient of the Brown-Rudder Award, the most prestigious recognition given to a student at the university. She has since gone on to be an advisor for One Aggieland and has developed a special topics course on global social justice leadership.

Manago currently works for the  Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture  as the program coordinator for the  Global Coffee Quality Research Initiative, where she is responsible for project development, finances, communication, marketing, social media and research proposal development and management.

However, Manago said the extensive application and interview processes for both scholarships made her realize that her true passion lies in academia. Beginning in January, she will return to the classroom at Texas A&M to start work on a master’s degree in sociology.

“In the long term, I see myself being a professor and leading a community of academics,” she added. “I enjoy the teaching part of the job. You have a very cool, unique opportunity where people give you their time. I’d also like to study things that can be applied to the material world and influence people in their applied areas. Teaching is the end goal of research, and I see them very much intertwined. I’d like to be involved in both.”

Throughout its history, Texas A&M University has produced seven Rhodes Scholars and five Marshall Scholars, the most recent being biochemistry and genetics major Nick Anthis for the Rhodes in 2005 and environmental design major Faye Hays for the Marshall in 2007. In last year’s competition, biochemistry and genetics major Kristin Carter was selected as a finalist for the Marshall Scholarship, and in 2009, biochemistry and genetics major Ella Doerge was selected as a finalist for the Rhodes. Since 2000, 11 Aggies have been selected as finalists for the Marshall Scholarship and four have been selected as finalists for the Rhodes.

About the Marshall and Rhodes Scholarships

The Marshall Scholarship is tenable for two years of graduate study at any university in the United Kingdom; the well-known Rhodes Scholarships are tenable for two to three years of graduate study at Oxford University.  Among the most competitive scholarship competitions in the world, only about 4 percent of the nationwide pool of more than 1,000 university-nominated applicants receive either award.

The Marshall Scholarships began in 1953 as a gesture of thanks from the British Government for U.S. assistance in rebuilding Europe after World War II. Former Marshall Scholars include Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and New York Timesforeign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman.  According to the Marshall Scholarship Foundation, as future leaders, Marshall Scholars are “expected to strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programs contributes to their ultimate personal success.” Only 40 Marshall Scholars are selected each year.

The Rhodes Scholarships, the oldest international fellowships, were initiated after the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, and bring outstanding students from many countries around the world to the University of Oxford. The primary qualification for a successful candidate is intellectual distinction, although the selection committees also seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead.  Through the years, Rhodes Scholars have pursued studies in all of the varied fields available at the University of Oxford, where they are elected for two years of study, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. Notable Rhodes Scholars include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, NBA Hall-of-Fame inductee and Senator Bill Bradley and Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Kris Kristofferson. Only 32 American Rhodes Scholars are selected each year.

Media contact: Krista Smith, Texas A&M News & Information Services.

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