Manhattan Army Cadet Named Rhodes Scholar

November 23, 2009 11:06am10commentsprint

Alexandra Rosenberg, a Senior at the United States Military at West Point studying Sociology, was named a 2009 Rhodes Scholar. Rosenberg will study Global Health Science at Oxford. (Truman Scholars)

By Gabriela Resto-Montero

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — A Manhattan woman who's at the top of her class at West Point has won a Rhodes Scholarship on Monday.

Alexandra Rosenberg, a graduate of Hunter College High School, is a senior at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and has previously won a Truman Scholarship and been named one of Glamour magazine's Top Ten Collegiate Women.

The Rhodes Scholarship provides tuition and living expenses to 32 American students every year while they complete graduate programs at Oxford University in England.

Over 1,500 vied for the prize this year, according to Elliot F. Gerson, American secretary of the Rhodes Trust.

Rosenberg, 21, is a Sociology major at West Point and ranks first academically in her cadet class, Gerson said in a statement on Monday announcing the winners.

She's tutored cadets in Chinese and English, developed a company-wide tutoring program, volunteered at Tripler Army Medical Center and spent seven weeks working with Crossroads Africa, a grassroots community development program.

Rosenberg plans to work toward a master's degree in Global Health Science at Oxford, and become an Army doctor.

Also headed to Oxford as a 2009 Rhodes Scholar is Columbia University senior Raphael J.C. Graybill of Great Falls, Montana. At 19, Graybill was Montana's youngest delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Graybill will study political theory at Oxford.

By Gabriela Resto-Montero, DNAinfo.com
Follow Gabriela on Twitter @GabrielaDNAinfo

Comments 10comments

I would put the average West Point graduate up against the average Ivy League student any day. Life isn't about how much money you can make - it's about commitment, leadership, making a difference... West Point grads set out to do just that. And by the way, my thanks goes out to those that serve the people and make living in this great nation (which is not perfect) even possible: the TEACHERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE FIGHTERS, MILITARY, CIVIL SERVANTS, etc. None of these people take these professions to get rich, or to make a quick buck. They do it for the greater good of this country.
G | April 5, 2010

Quote: "I'm sorry your $40,000 a year college couldn't get you a job or a scholarship, but don't try to tear down this woman who is willing to put her life on the line for you" This lady is not getting a free education at West Point. She has to pay for it serving the army for five years after graduation. So is she has to "put her life on the line" that's her duty, the same as as policeman, fireman or doctors, they are being paid for it. Of course it is much more difficult to get such a scholarship if you are an Ivy league student because you have to compete with hundreds of extremely smart students in your own college. At West Point the pool of competitors is very low so it is more easy to get nominated.
Robert | November 25, 2009

That sounds all fine and dandy, except most of West Point's Rhodes Scholarship winners are men. This year they just both happened to be women (and white). I don't know how you can say that West Point, 4th all time in Rhodes Scholars, ahead of Stanford, MIT, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, Penn, Duke and Chicago, had won all those Rhodes Scholarships on undeserved merits. Then again, people born and raised in NYC often are oblivious to life outside of prep schools and $40,000 a year tuition colleges.
AcademicsPlus | November 25, 2009

I think Ben is right. It's just an illusion. Basically, if you are a woman and also a minority and besides you are in West Point you are ready for a whole bunch of undeserved merits.
Johnson | November 24, 2009

Ben, you are a fool. If the only Rhodes Scholar that you can mention is Bill Clinton then you aren't exactly the type of person who should be critiquing anyone who earns one. Rhodes Scholars are developing groundbreaking medical breakthroughs and other innovations that are improving the quality of life for hundreds of millions world wide. They help launch some of the finest doctors, lawyers, economists, businessmen, and statesmen in the world. There is a reason why so many apply for only 32 slots. Also, you CAN compare a top student from an Ivy League to one from West Point. They've been doing it now for about 70 years. West Point is 4th all time in Rhodes Scholars. Apparently the Rhodes Scholar committee thinks highly of them. I'm sorry your $40,000 a year college couldn't get you a job or a scholarship, but don't try to tear down this woman who is willing to put her life on the line for you, and who earned herself the most prestigious post-graduate scholarship in the world.
AcademicsPlus | November 24, 2009

Who really cares about Rhodes scholarships? can anybody name one Rhodes scholar besides Bill Clinton? These people aren't exactly finding the cure for cancer or developing the next generation broadband network... if you look at what 90%+ are planning to study next year, it's pretty much utter triviality... Also you cannot compare a top student from an Ivy League (Harvard, Princeton, Yale) to one from West Point. Almost any average student from Harvard or Princeton is by far academically superior than the top West Point student.
Ben | November 23, 2009

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