Simone Delzin is 2017 Rhodes Scholar

Simone Delzin, of Trinidad & Tobago, is the recipient of the 2017 Commonwealth Caribbean Rhodes Scholarship.

 

This announcement was made yesterday afternoon at Government House by Peter Goldson, Secretary of the Rhodes Selection Committee, alongside Chairman of the Committee, the Governor General of Barbados, His Excellency Sir Elliott Belgrave.

 

Delzin, age 22, is currently a student at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, pursuing a double-major in Biology and Psychology.

 

She was selected from among nine other candidates for what is described as the most prestigious post-graduate scholarship in the world.

 

“Everybody here is so well qualified. There wasn’t one person I could say does not deserve a Rhodes Scholarship. Every single one of the students is phenomenal in their field of work, their service and their sportsmanship… I think it must have been quite a tough decision by the panel – I can’t imagine being in their position having to choose between us.”

 

The scholar is very much interested in global health and medicine, bioethics, social justice, sustainable agriculture, Caribbean culture and integration and the arts. Delzin also revealed that she has applied to do the Master’s in Medical Anthropology, and afterwards hopefully pursue her PHD at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

 

Goldson said that this year’s candidates were all extremely qualified, and he agreed with Sir Elliott’s suggestion to look at awarding two Rhodes Scholarships, rather than just one a year. (TL)