Harvard Graduate School of Education Student is Named a Rhodes Scholar

Harvard Graduate School of Education student, Rachel Y. Mazyck, was selected as a 2005 Rhodes Scholar and will enter the University of Oxford in England in October.

Mazyck — a Laurel, Maryland, native< — graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002 when she was 19. She is a candidate for a master's in education with a concentration in Education Policy and Management.

"I came to Harvard to learn how federal policy might leverage changes in the achievement gap in rural education in areas," said Mazyck. "At Oxford, I'd like to focus on the policies that the U.K. is using to tackle the achievement gap there and to see what we in the U.S. can learn from their work. My ultimate goal is to return to the U.S. and help design and implement policies that can close the academic achievement gap in this country."

An English major in college, education has always been integral to Mazyck's personal and professional interests. She attended the National Cathedral School in Washington, DC, and then went on to graduate from college in three years. As an undergraduate, she spent a week shadowing the Chapel Hill public school superintendent and organized undergraduate tutors. A position with Teach for America (TFA) followed, and she taught fourth grade in rural Mississippi for two years. She also held an internship with the Education Trust.

"We are proud to be educating the next generation of leaders for education," said Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Warren Professor and Dean at HGSE. "Rachel Mazyck's dedication to changing policy in rural American school systems exemplifies our dedication to improving education through research and the preparation of outstanding practitioners."

The Rhodes Scholarships were created in 1902 by the will of British philanthropist and diamond magnate Cecil Rhodes. Winners are selected on the basis of high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential, and physical vigor, among other attributes.

The scholars, chosen from 904 applicants endorsed by 341 colleges and universities, will enter Oxford University in England next October. The scholarships fund two or three years of study. The American students will join scholars selected from 18 other nations and approximately 95 scholars are selected each year.

Since its founding in 1920, HGSE has been training professionals to create environments in which teaching can transform lives. Today, more than 100 faculty members guide approximately 1,000 students in doctoral and master's programs each year. HGSE offers 13 master's programs, leading to careers in school leadership, teaching, language and literacy, international education policy, and many other fields.

Contact Greer Bautz at 617-496-1884 or Greer_Bautz@gse.harvard.edu .