Queen’s University graduate Jane Hutchings, Com’21, has been selected as a 2022 Rhodes Scholar, earning a prestigious scholarship to the University of Oxford worth more than $100,000. She has been chosen as the recipient for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hutchings graduated from Queen’s in 2021 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and has also earned a Graduate Diploma in Accounting from the Smith School of Business. This selection brings Queen’s overall Rhodes Scholar total to 61.
“On behalf of the Queen’s community, I congratulate Jane on this tremendous achievement,” says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. “Jane’s academic accomplishments, student leadership, and extensive record of community service are truly inspiring, and her experience as a Rhodes Scholar will undoubtedly help her achieve her ambitions of making a meaningful impact on communities in Canada and around the world.”
During her time at Queen’s, Hutchings took on a variety of leadership roles and coordinated community service opportunities both at home and abroad. She was especially active with the Commerce Society, where she served as an Outreach Officer and Advisory Board Audit Director among other roles. As the co-chair of the Queen’s Commerce Service Initiative, she organized service trips to Costa Rica and Guatemala for 24 students, giving them opportunities to engage in community growth and economic development projects.
“It was always my dream to study at Oxford, so when I received the phone call I was lost for words,” says Hutchings. “I cannot wait to embark on my studies, meet fellow students and professors and take in the beautiful architecture and history of Oxford. I will pursue a MSt in Diplomatic Studies and a MSc in Financial Economics, focusing on rural development, sustainability, and economic resilience in my home province of Newfoundland and Labrador."
This research will build on her experience studying Tilting, NL as a Mitacs Research Fellow. Through a partnership with Mitacs and the Community Revitalization Research Program at the Smith School of Business, Hutchings researched community involvement and cultural custodianship in the Newfoundland community on Fogo Island, off the northeast coast of the province.
Hutchings was recognized with a number of awards throughout her time at Queen’s, including a Commerce 1986 Award in Memory of Jeffrey Brock and a D.I. McLeod Dean’s List with Distinction Scholarship. She also earned a D&R Sobey Atlantic Scholarship, which is awarded to outstanding high school students from Atlantic Canada to attend the undergraduate Commerce program at the Smith School of Business.
“As a D&R Sobey Atlantic Scholar, I would like to send a special thank you to Rob and the late Donald Sobey for their generous support and guidance over the past four years,” says Hutchings. “I would also like to send a huge thank you to the Queen's Community and Smith School of Business, especially the professors who helped me during the Rhodes Scholarship process, namely Dr. Tina Dacin, Dr. Kate Rowbotham, Dr. Louis Gagnon, Professor David McConomy, Lori Garnier, and Dr. Paul Calluzzo.”
Following her time at Oxford, Hutchings intends to pursue her career goals of working as an economic diplomat and an elected official.
Funded by the Rhodes Trusts, 11 Rhodes Scholars are selected each year from across Canada. These outstanding students demonstrate a strong propensity to emerge as “leaders for the world’s future.”
The scholarships to the University of Oxford are for postgraduate studies or a second bachelor’s degree and cover tuition and fees and provide a stipend to help cover living expenses for two to three years of study.
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