SCIO is pleased to announce the spring 2019 de Jager and SCIO alumni prize winners.
The de Jager prize for the British culture and undergraduate research seminar is awarded in recognition of outstanding scholarly work submitted by each awardee during the Scholars’ Semester in Oxford in the British culture and undergraduate research seminar courses. Awarded at the close of each term, the de Jager prize is facilitated by Geoffrey and Caroline de Jager, whose generous gift to each prize winner is reflective of their longstanding commitment to academic excellence.
The SCIO alumni prize, awarded for the first time in Michaelmas Term 2018, is funded from contributions from SCIO alumni of programmes over the past 15 years. The prize is awarded to one student each term or programme for overall outstanding academic performance.
The prize winners for Hilary Term 2019, along with their sending institutions, are named below.
| Prize | Name | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| British culture | Jensen Kirkendall | Azusa Pacific University |
| British culture | Susan Miley | Bethel University, IN |
| British culture | Rachel Nordberg | Bethel University, MN |
| British culture | Collin Steele | Azusa Pacific University |
| Undergraduate research seminar | Veronica Andreades | Gordon College |
| Undergraduate research seminar | Heather Hawks | Southeastern University |
| Undergraduate research seminar | Abigail Roeder | Bethel University, IN |
| Undergraduate research seminar | Collin Steele | Azusa Pacific University |
| Thesis | Jordan Bellamy | Gordon College |
| SCIO alumni prize | Jensen Kirkendall | Azusa Pacific University |
Two students reflect on their time on the programme:
The SCIO program gave me the unique opportunity of going deeper into the professional world of my discipline. Both the SCIO staff and the Oxford faculty they connected me with offered their energy and expertise to challenge, train, and equip me to face the often daunting task of scholarship. The program staff provided an environment for my technical skills and academic curiosities to be fostered and expanded beyond that which was possible for me before going.
Jensen Kirkendall
Both the city and institution of Oxford provide a vibrancy and appreciation for thought. Ironically, despite the everyday hustle and bustle, Oxford provided me an opportunity to slow down and think. I not only had the time to inquire and respond to questions, I was tutored on what questions to ask and why. While I expected to be academically challenged and grow intellectually given the prestige and rigor of Oxford, what I did not expect was there to be such a care by my tutors not for me just as a scholar, but a devotion to my desire to be a change agent. From ‘Ethics’ to ‘Theories of Politics,’ my tutors wrestled with me in the pursuit of truth.
Each week I had the opportunity to engage with and contribute to the wider community. I can only describe it as swimming in an estuary of ideas. Entering an unknown reality, I wanted to be cautious in my writing and arguments. However, my tutors encouraged me to be bold and courageous to say what I really think. This taught me the valuable lesson, as John C. Maxwell states, to “fail forward.” My tutors created an environment of learning in which my mistakes did not paralyze me and inhibit growth. I am truly grateful for the opportunity that SCIO provided for me to study at Oxford. I hope to return to Oxford to continue my academic and personal development.
Jordan Bellamy