Greenville Leader

Clemson senior Louise Franke has become the first student from the university to be named a Rhodes Scholar, following an intensive application and interview process.

Recognized worldwide as the top undergraduate award for college students, the Rhodes Scholarship provides for study at the University of Oxford. In a recent release, Clemson University President Jim Clements congratulated Franke on her achievement, stating that the Rhodes Scholarship will offer her an amazing opportunity to use her education to make a difference in the world.

“The Rhodes community is an intellectual community where people care about ideas, about action and about the world. It’s a group of people that fight the world’s fight, and the fact that I’m now part of that blows my mind. It’s a dream come true,” Franke said in the release.

Franke is currently an honors college student majoring in biochemistry with minors in political science and philosophy, the release states. Her achievement makes her one of just 32 Rhodes Scholars selected from across the country. While Clemson has had six Rhodes finalists since 2006, including two this year, Franke is the first in university history to be named a Rhodes Scholar. 

According to the release, Rhodes Scholars are chosen based on academic excellence, the energy to use their talents to the fullest, personal attributes, devotion to duty, character and leadership. This year, more than 2,300 students entered the application process with 826 receiving endorsements from their college or university — a step required in the application process. 

Moving forward, Franke hopes to pursue a B.A. in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford on her scholarship before earning a joint M.D. and Ph.D. in bioethics, the release states. At this time, she plans to practice as a physician while beginning a career as a bioethicist working in public policy and academia.