Saint Lucian Rahym Augustin-Joseph is the Rhodes Scholar-elect for the Commonwealth Caribbean for 2025.
The announcement was made at State House in Barbados on Tuesday, after a full day of interviewing the 12 candidates vying for the scholarship.
Three of the candidates interviewed hailed from Guyana, three from St. Lucia, two from Trinidad and Tobago and one each from The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Dominica and St. Vincent.
Rahym, who is currently studying at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, is pursuing a Degree in Law, after having completed a BSc. in Political Science and Law last year.
Speaking on being announced the Rhodes Scholar-elect, he said: “I feel elated, and humbled, knowing that out of so many choices, that the committee chose me. But it also solidified in my mind that there is so much work to be done to transform my country and the wider region, and I’m ready to embark upon this journey and utilise the knowledge, and skillset to help contribute towards some of the problems facing my country, utilising the law as a binding agent to heal societal rifts. I feel so blessed and humbled by this opportunity.”
The new Rhodes Scholar-elect will be heading to Oxford University in October 2025 to join a cohort of more than 100 scholars from around the world to undertake fully-sponsored, post-graduate studies, and become part of a global community of people determined to make a positive difference in the world.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford since 1903. The Scholarships for Jamaica began in 1904 and those for the rest of the Caribbean began in 1953.
Students from anywhere in the world can apply for a Rhodes Scholarship and many find that taking part in the “rigorous” selection process is a profoundly positive experience which leaves them better prepared to pursue other opportunities worldwide.
The selection process aims to choose young people with proven academic excellence who also show exceptional character, leadership, the energy to fully use their talents and a commitment to solving humanity’s challenges. The selection process includes a meticulous review process before the finalist interview, with a selection committee composed of renowned experts and leaders in diverse fields.
The Selection Committee for the Rhodes Scholar was chaired this year by the President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason. The other members were Professor Alan Cobley, Dr. Rosina Wiltshire, Dr. Cheikh Mbengue, Chenoa Marquis and Leon Westby, with Bertha Pilgrim serving as Secretary of the Committee.
Warden of Rhodes House and CEO of the Rhodes Trust, Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, said: “We are so proud of the exceptional young people who are chosen every year to become Rhodes Scholars and become part of our community…We are proud that Scholars come from a vast array of backgrounds and have attained remarkable accomplishments in a wide range of fields, from physics to philosophy, medicine to history, engineering to anthropology. It is that diversity of background and thinking that makes our community special. What unites them is their curiosity, character, academic excellence and their desire to make a difference.”
Applications for the 2026 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June 2025. For more information about the Scholarship application process, persons may visit www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply.
Commonwealth Caribbean Secretary