SAN FRANCISCO, California – Minerva University is celebrating the naming of its second student in two years to be honored as a Rhodes Scholar. Brittany Dick, who graduated earlier this year, won the prestigious fully paid program to pursue grad studies at the University of Oxford.
A Māori from Kāi Tahu in Aotearoa New Zealand, she is one of just four Māori to receive the scholarship in its 120-year history in New Zealand.
Dick will complete a Master of Philosophy in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology. The Rhodes Scholarship, established in 1903, is the oldest international scholarship program, bringing exceptional young people from around the globe to study at Oxford.
Dick grew up connected to her Māori heritage, interested in indigenous practices and storytelling. This passion has taken her across the globe searching for narratives that amplify marginalized voices.
“There’s so much opportunity to show up as a Māori scholar, representing my community on a global stage, and bringing indigenous knowledge into a very traditional institution,” Dick says. She recounted how she moved to London after high school, working as a chef and later as a retail manager, all while holding onto a dream of attending university.
“I really value the courage that the younger me had to explore different ways of living and different places to live,” she said. “I’m looking forward to exploring more.”
She is the second Rhodes Scholar in two years at Minerva, joining Gal Rubin, Class of 2023, from Israel.
“Minerva students have a superpower – their ability to recognize and take full advantage of an unexpected opportunity,” said Minerva University president Mike Magee. “We are so impressed by Brittany Dick’s academic path, and we know the world will be hearing her powerful voice in coming years.”
Minerva is a nonprofit university that offers an innovative educational model focused on developing real-world skills through active learning. Students learn through discussion and projects and are taught using methods based on the science of learning.
Magee thanked faculty members who supported Brittany, including Professor Robert Karl Ph.D., who taught Brittany and Professor Grace Woods-Puckett Ph.D., who advised Dick’s capstone project. Karl praised Brittany Dick as “one of the most interesting people — not just students — I’ve ever known.”