When Sarah St. John graduates from SFU this spring, like many new university grads, she will pack a bag and head to Europe.
Unlike almost all of those grads, however, St. John's trip will be as much about changing the world as seeing it.
The Gleneagle secondary school grad will spend the next two years at Oxford University after winning the coveted Rhodes Scholar title.
"It's pretty exciting," she said. "Obviously, with a competitive scholarship like this, you hope but don't necessarily expect to get it, so it's a pretty big surprise. I'm excited and honoured and a little bit nervous."
There are 11 spots for Canadians for the annual Rhodes scholarship, with only one recipient coming from B.C. Rhodes is the fourth SFU student to win the award.
St. John will graduate from SFU in the spring with a bachelor of science in health sciences and a certificate in sustainable community development. She plans to use the award, worth up to $100,000, to pursue a master's degree in public policy at Oxford.
The award is given to students who have demonstrated academic success and community involvement, as well as a commitment to making a difference on the global stage. They must also pursue non-academic interests such as sports, theatre or music.
St. John has maintained a 4.1 GPA at SFU while balancing a busy volunteer life. She has been recognized with three Canadian Red Cross awards for her work in raising awareness about global issues, having organized the Humanity Strikes Back youth and serving as a youth delegate with the International Federation of the Red Cross at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Mexico in 2010.
As a board member and later as the external chair of Sustainable SFU, St. John successfully lobbied for an undergrad fee to create an annual $100,000 contribution to the organization.
Elizabeth Elle, an SFU associate professor of biology who was on the Rhodes selection committee for B.C., said that of the 18 applicants, St. John showed both a deep commitment to service as well as a strong academic standing.
"She has done extremely well in both challenging science courses as well as a diverse array of social sciences courses," Elle said. "Not many individuals can excel across the disciplines the way Sarah has."
St. John was already planning to continue with post-graduate studies and hoped to study abroad, but the Rhodes scholarship win goes beyond her biggest dreams.
"To just be handed this amazing tool, to be able to learn and grow and be connected to this international community of students at Oxford, it's a huge opportunity for me that will open a lot of doors," St. John said. "And hopefully I'll be able to have a positive impact on the world."
She's still mulling over her Oxford program options and is considering a couple of interdisciplinary studies. When all the studying is done, St. John sees herself crafting policies for government or perhaps a think-tank back here in Canada.
"I do enjoy international issues but... there's a lot I can do here that will still have an international impact," St. John said. "But that can all change. I hear plans can change when you go to Oxford and meet people."
