WASHINGTON (AP)
A Montanan is among 32 men and women from across the United States who have been selected as Rhodes Scholars for 2007, the scholarship trust announced Sunday. The scholars were selected from 896 applicants endorsed by 340 colleges and universities. The scholarships, the oldest of the international study awards available to American students, provide two or three years of study. The students will enter Oxford University in England next October. This year’s winners include Brian Johnsrud of Bozeman, Mont. Johnsrud graduated from Montana State University in 2006 with a major in English and currently teaches at a charter school. Johnsrud, who has served as a mentor, tutor and debate coach, is an avid outdoorsman and distance runner. He plans to study medieval literature at Oxford. Rhodes Scholarships were created in 1902 by the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes. Winners are selected on the basis of high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential and physical vigor, among other attributes. The American students will join an internation Al group of scholars selected from 13 other jurisdictions around the world. Approximately 85 scholars are selected each year. The value of the Rhodes Scholarship varies depending on the field of study. The total value averages about $45,000 per year. With the elections announced Sunday, 3,110 Americans have won Rhodes Scholarships, representing 307 colleges and universities.
