By Hae-Ryun Kang

For the fourth time in the past eight years, a Carribbean student from Macalester was named a Rhode Scholar. Michael Waul ’09 is the thirteenth Macalester student to receive the award.”It still feels surreal,” he said. “I don’t quite grasp how lucky I am, and how big this is. I think I’ve objectified myself from this that I haven’t yet comprehended the full magnitude of everything.”

Waul was among more than 60 scholars from more than 20 different countries, including 32 from the United States, who were chosen to be Rhode Scholars this year.

“Typically scholars are people with very high energy,” said Ellen Guyer former Dean of Academic Program, “who have moved into positions of leadership in a variety of organizations, who have indeed founded organizations, who have achieved superior academic records and who can make a convincing case for the program of study they wish to pursue at Oxford.”

Based on the criteria of academic achievement, integrity of character, leadership abilities, and physical vigor, students are selected from many countries to pursue their research cost-free at Oxford.

Michael Waul has worked on housing development for children at Jackson St. village as a Macalester mentor. He did research with Professor Brisbois at the chemistry department on organic synthesis

Thanking his professors, parents, and friends for “their incredible support,” Waul said that he wll continue researching drugs and drug synthesis at Oxford.

“My entire academic career now amounts to nothing,” senior Bronwen Dietrich, a friend of Waul, half-jokingly said over a Café Mac dinner.

The Rhodes Scholarships, the oldest international fellowships, were initiated after the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902. All educational costs and travel expenses are covered by the Rhodes Trustees; in addition scholars receive a maintenance allowance for necessary expenses for term-time and vacations.