UWEC Grad Talks Rhodes Scholarship Experience

Photo caption: Dr. Tayo Sanders, a UW-Eau Claire graduate who was selected for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship program, returned to his alma mater this spring to talk about how his faculty mentors and undergraduate research experiences continue to shape his life and career. (Photos by Bill Hoepner)

“I actually assumed I was spelling it wrong, so I tried it different ways before calling her back to say I think she made a mistake…”

-Sanders

Tayo Sanders II was a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire junior when he got a message from his research mentor encouraging him to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship, something he’d never heard of before.

When he researched it, Sanders was certain he’d misunderstood her message because the Rhodes program — which includes a full scholarship to study at the prestigious Oxford University in England — typically selects students from internationally known universities like Harvard and Yale, not regional public universities in Wisconsin. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

“I actually assumed I was spelling it wrong, so I tried it different ways before calling her back to say I think she made a mistake,” Sanders said. CLICK FOR THE FULL STORY.