Rice University student awarded prestigious Rhodes Scholarship – Houston Public Media
A Rice University student was named one of 32 U.S. recipients of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship — and the only Texas student to receive the award this year.
The full-time scholarship program from the Rhodes Trust is a world-renowned and fully funded postgraduate award that enables talented students to study at the University of Oxford.
Sixteen committees across the U.S. selected the recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship in a competitive process. Nearly 3,000 students applied, with 865 endorsed by 243 colleges and universities, according to Rice University. In total, 238 were chosen as finalists and a group of 32 students from the United States were awarded the scholarship.
The scholarship was established in 1902 through the will of Cecil Rhodes. Applicants are chosen by their academic excellence, according to Rice University.
Jae Kim, a senior majoring in Integrative Biology, is the university's 13th recipient of the scholarship. He is the founder of Hermes Free Telehealth — a student-run nonprofit organization that connects clinicians to underserved patients. He was chosen to study at the University of Oxford in England next fall.
"I want to become a physician but work at the forefront of climate policy," Kim told Houston Public Media. "Just bring to the world's attention [to] how human health and the natural environment are interconnected."
In 2025, Kim will spend two years at the University of Oxford while he pursues dual Master of Science degrees in environmental change and management, and evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.
Kim credits his leadership experience, his time working in the community and his ambitious career goals for aiding him in the scholarship application process.
"I only found out about it last year and I applied because you miss all the shots you don't take, but it just seemed so unthinkable and out of reach so I think I'm still shocked, but I was incredibly honored that I was able to get this scholarship," Kim said.
He was born in Korea and grew up in New York City, attributing his success to opportunities he had in Houston and Rice University — where he interned at the Harris County Office of Sustainability through the Leadership Rice Mentorship program.
He said his most memorable experiences were the summers he spent volunteering and conducting conservation projects at a wolf sanctuary in Colorado.
"Every time I go, it just reminds me that I'm connected with the natural world and all the animals and plants and ecosystems that are on this planet, and it just reaffirms my desire to pursue a career where I can help," Kim said.
The U.S. recipients of the scholarship will join an international group of students chosen from more than 70 countries around the world. The trust, with scholarships averaging $75,000 per year, covers all college and university fees.
Kim said he could have applied to study in Oxford outside of the scholarship, but the network of people across the discipline of Rhodes opened opportunities for him.
"I could have applied to Oxford from outside of the Rhodes scholarship and pursued the master's degrees regardless, but just the network of amazing people across the discipline that the Rhodes scholarship opened up to me, being able to connect with them personally," he said. "Just gaining a global perspective on the issues I care about is exciting to me."
Lucio Vasquez contributed to this report.
