Two UM Students Named Finalists for Nation's Top Academic Honors

Sydney Guntharp, a senior English and political science major from Hernando, is the university's Rhodes Scholarship finalist. She is the sixth finalist in three years for Ole Miss.

The Marshall Scholarship finalist is Sophia Toner. The Pass Christian native is a senior in the Croft Institute for International Studies and the Chinese Language Flagship Program with a minor in Russian.

"Being named a Rhodes or Marshall finalist places Sydney and Sophia among the most promising young scholars in the nation," said Vivian Ibrahim, director of the university's Office of National Scholarship Advisement. "Both awards recognize academic excellence paired with leadership and service, and their selection reflects not only their individual brilliance, but also the growing culture of global engagement and intellectual ambition at the University of Mississippi."

The Rhodes Scholarship allows students from across the globe to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom to complete a master's or doctoral degree. Ole Miss has produced 27 Rhodes scholars, with Arielle Hudson, of Tunica, being the most recent.

Guntharp is a Stamps Impact prize winner who founded a publication and organization called CORRE Collective that brings together artistic expression while providing community care and awareness.

A member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, she is completing her Honors College thesis on AIDS cultural activism in the latter half of the 20th century.

"Sydney is intellectually fearless, creatively driven, and deeply committed to justice and inclusion," Ibrahim said.

Guntharp applied to be a Rhodes Scholar because of the academic and community opportunities afforded by Oxford University.

"I am really invested in the question of how we bridge the gap between educational institutions and everyday life, and both the Rhodes Scholarship as well as Oxford value leaders who want to shape humanity's future beyond the walls of the classroom," she said.

She is particularly interested in the school's offerings in American literature and gender studies.

"The programs both have faculty members who are invested in my central areas of research: AIDS history, literature, cultural activism, political print culture and the African American literary tradition," she said.

If selected for the scholarship, Guntharp hopes to learn from a different university system, expand her educational horizons and challenge her abilities.

"I hope to gain tangible strategies on how to become a public-facing scholar in the humanities, grow an international network and attain the educational background to pursue a doctorate in English literature, so that I can work in higher education," she said.

Her aspirations are as unique as her education at Ole Miss.

"Sydney's work at the university, from founding a literary collective for queer and trans voices to her research and performance across disciplines exemplifies the transformative power of humanities education," Ibrahim said.

Guntharp is scheduled to interview for the Rhodes Scholarship this weekend (Nov. 14-15) in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Marshall Scholarship funds two years of graduate study at a British university of the scholar's choosing. Ole Miss has produced four Marshall Scholars, the most recent being Christian Boudreaux last fall.

Having studied abroad extensively in Taiwan and China during her time at Ole Miss, Toner hopes to expand her perspective by also studying in Europe while pursuing a master's degree. Also a member of the Honors College, Toner is proficient in Mandarin Chinese and Russian.

As a Stamps Impact Prize winner, she studied the impact of industrialization in Arctic Norway on the Sami people.

"Sophia exemplifies the kind of curiosity and purpose that define our national scholarship applicants, students who think across borders and disciplines to address real-world challenges," Ibrahim said.

If selected as a Marshall Scholar, Toner plans to explore the relationship between maritime management and national security.

"I applied to pursue a master's in maritime policy and shipping management at Cardiff University, followed by a master's in international security at the University of Bristol," she said. "I hope to first understand the fundamentals of the global maritime shipping system, then apply that understanding to security analysis."

These areas of study allow her to combine her affinity with boats and pirates.

"Think shadow fleets, illegal trade, supply chain control, naval warfare and environmental protection," she said.

Toner's ambitions will certainly affect the world, Ibrahim said.

"Sophia's selection as a Marshall finalist is a proud moment for UM and continues an extraordinary record of success for our students," she said. "Her work unites language, diplomacy and maritime policy, demonstrating both intellectual rigor and a genuine commitment to global understanding."

Toner is set to interview virtually with the selection committee Nov. 19 from Taiwan, where she is studying this semester.

Top: Sydney Guntharp (left), a senior majoring in English and political science, is a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship, and Sophia Toner, a senior majoring in Chinese and international studies, is a finalist for a Marshall Scholarship. Both interview for the scholarships this month.