Rhodes Scholar Calls Lithonia Her Hometown

ATLANTA, GA — An Emory University student from Lithonia has received a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, the program announced over the weekend. Chelsea A. Jackson, a senior, is one of 32 students in the American Rhodes Scholar Class of 2018, and one of 10 African-Americans, the most ever in a U.S. Rhodes class.

Jackson is a senior at Emory, where she's pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science and African-American studies, and a master's degree in political science. The 32 scholars were chosen from a pool of 866 candidates endorsed by their colleges or universities.

The scholars will begin courses at the University of Oxford in England in the fall of 2018. The Americans will join an international group of scholars chosen from 64 different countries.

At Emory, Jackson is a campus leader of the Racial Justice Initiative, "an effort to create and sustain a more inclusive and engaging campus," according to the Rhodes Trust, which oversees the scholarship program. She also is the co-founder of Atlanta Black Students United, and helped revive Emory’s chapter of the NAACP.

In addition, Jackson serves as the musical director of AHANA A Capella. At Oxford, she plans to pursue a master's degree in criminology and criminal justice.

The Rhodes Scholarship program is highly competitive. This year, more than 2,500 students in the U.S. sought an endorsement for the program from their college or institution and 866 received the endorsement.

The scholarship covers all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford. You can see the full list of American scholars here.

Image via Shutterstock