Agnes Scott College Senior, Madison Jennings, Receives 2024 Rhodes Scholarship

Jennings will join an international group of Scholars chosen from over 70 countries to pursue studies at the University of Oxford next fall.

Agnes Scott College senior Madison Jennings has been announced as a winner of the 2024 Rhodes Scholarship.

The award allows Jennings to join an international group of Scholars selected from 25 other jurisdictions worldwide. Decaturish stated that the scholarship will fund Jennings’ postgraduate studies at Oxford University in the United Kingdom next fall as she pursues a Master of Public Policy and an MSc in Public Policy Research. According to a press release from the Rhodes Trust Office of the American Secretary, the total value of the Rhodes Scholarship averages about $75,000 per year and can reach up to as much as $250,000 for recipients who attend four years in certain departments at Oxford. The award covers all Oxford tuition and fees, which includes a stipend for expenses and vacations while at Oxford and transportation to and from England.

In preparation for the scholarship, Decaturish reported that Jennings wrote about how leadership taught her to identify challenges, craft solutions, inspire others, and foster teamwork. “The Gullah tradition, rooted in the fusion of grassroots organizing and policy change, continues to influence my academic and professional pursuits,” the political science major wrote. “The community-based model I’ve embraced transcends cultural boundaries, and as a policy director, I intend to leverage these community-based models to demonstrate how local dynamics inform global policies.”

As president of the pre-law society and a Carter Center intern, Jennings has worked on issues, including supporting civil society organizations in Liberia and identifying policing alternatives in Georgia. The scholar has conducted research on international law in Afghanistan and the maternal health policy in Georgia. She is the project executive for the Pop Up Library for Peace to develop mobile outdoor libraries for the Savannah community. Her research has included examining workplace sexual harassment laws and public safety legislation.

“We are extremely proud of Madison and the outstanding work she has done in the classroom and in the community. At Agnes Scott, we focus on educating our students to be global citizens and inclusive leaders. Madison is a true example of both. We know that she will continue to lead and to make a difference today and tomorrow,” said Agnes Scott College President Leocadia I. Zak.

Along with her political science degree, the well-rounded young woman is completing a minor in religious studies and a Global Learning Specialization at Agnes Scott. She has also led three ballet productions as a classically trained dancer. Jennings wants to work as a policy director and focus on developing a comprehensive and empathetic humanitarian policy with a global influence.

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