Gwendolyn Arnold Lambertville, Michigan
Gwendolyn Arnold is a nominee for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarship competitions. An exceptional student majoring in Political Science, Gwen has been awarded numerous academic achievements including the University of Michigan?s Otto Graf Memorial Prize and the Goldman Sachs Global Leadership Scholarship. Gwen?s work is creative and imaginative; it cuts across disciplinary boundaries, especially in political science and environmental studies. Deeply concerned with the relationship between community and the environment, she is currently completing an Honor’s Thesis that explores the management of common pool environmental resources, focusing on lake conservation. Elected by her peers as a representative to the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Student Government, Ms. Arnold was tapped for several key committees. Her work with others has not been limited to student affairs; it also extends to those less fortunate than she. Gwen has conducted research on environmental issues affecting low-income communities in urban Detroit, and she spent a summer in Bolivia teaching at a rural vocational school.

Ryan Bodanyi Attica, Michigan
Ryan Bodanyi is a nominee for the Marshall and Mitchell Scholarship competitions. Originally from Attica, Michigan, Ryan possesses excellent communication skills as evidenced during 1999-2000 while serving as editorial staff writer of “The Michigan Daily.” Among the many leadership roles we considered, he has served as Chair of the Eco-Pledge Campaign for Environmental Action and is Facilitator for the University of Michigan Environmental Justice Group. The Environmental Justice Group at the University of Michigan is a multi-cultural, multidisciplinary student group dedicated to promoting environmental justice for all communities affected disproportionately with environmental burdens. Ryan is an individual with values firmly rooted in the soil but with lofty ideals and the instincts for working with others to put those ideals into practice.

Anna Haskins Kalamazoo, Michigan Anna Haskins is a nominee for the Marshall Scholarship. A Michigan native, Anna began college with an aspiration for a career in education, and she has never waivered. It is clear that she maintains a sense of purpose for her future because what lies at the center of her achievements is a personal understanding of how education can transform and strengthen individuals as well as communities. Anna has been awarded several academic achievements including the Kappa Delta Pi – International Honor Society in Education. She has been active in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program as a Peer Advisor, she is also an active member and Foundation Representative of Kappa Delta Pi.

Heather Jensen Coral Springs, Florida
Heather Jensen is a nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship competition. As a student concentrating in Middle Eastern and North African Studies, she has developed a keen sense of the origins and complexities of social strife. Lending urgency to her study of conflict resolution is Heather?s deep ethical commitment to others, particularly to those less fortunate. For all her passion for international studies, Ms. Jensen has remained committed to issues at home. While at the University of Michigan she founded the Campus Religion Network, a student organization that unites religious groups on campus. She has also made her presence felt in her work for International Women’s Day and as a site leader for the University’s annual events celebrating the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Heather has been awarded numerous academic achievements including the James B. Angell Scholar award and William J. Branston Freshman Prize.

Annie Maxwell Santa Barbara, California
Annie Maxwell is a nominee for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarship competitions. Annie has an exceptional record in the classroom and on the playing field and has had what easily amounts to a full-time job in athletics in addition to her five years of study. Among her many co-curricular achievements, she was President and Community Service Chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and also volunteered as a member of the Project Serve Lead Team campus programs. Annie was an active member of volunteer programs that support university leadership programs and she worked as the Coordinator of the From the Heart Program at Mott Children?s Hospital. Annie has amassed an impressive array of experiences that demonstrates her ability to study with a broad range of diverse and challenging individuals. She graduated in May, 2002, with a masters of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Brian Netter Northbrook, Illinois
Brian Netter is a nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship competition. Brian?s academic record has been spectacular, resplendent with honors, in a highly demanding program of study, Industrial and Operations Engineering. No less talented in field work than in academia, Mr. Netter undertook a summer internship in Brazil solving a complex systems engineering problem for Ford Motor Company. Brian has shown himself to be a natural leader. Following the 9/11 attacks, he organized a campus-wide observance, raising funds, and arranging for speakers. He has already been selected for leadership positions in several campus organizations including the University Activities Center and the Students Honoring Outstanding University Teaching.

Joshua Palay Saline, Michigan
Joshua Palay is another one of our nominees for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. Josh compiled a superb and varied record during his time at the University of Michigan, graduating from the School of Music with highest honors in the highly selective program of Composition and Music Theory. Rare for any undergraduate composer is Josh?s extensive international experience; he has already studied in Paris and had his works performed in New York, Paris, and Florence. His leadership in campus musical life has been no less impressive. With an adventurous spirit he founded the Performing Arts Collaboration Project, in which artists of diverse backgrounds gather to prepare performances of works in a variety of media; some of these performances have been benefit concerts. Besides showing a gift for leadership, these activities on campus show a talent for interdisciplinary collaboration that allows him to bring together students of varied backgrounds around a common interest. Josh is one of our outstanding scholars, having completed with highest honors a degree in Aesthetics, a program of his own design.

Theron Tingstad Las Vegas, Nevada
Theron Tingstad is a nominee for the Marshall and Mitchell Scholarship competitions. Theron is an exceptional student and has compiled a superb academic record as an Honors Political Science major at the University of Michigan. A Telluride Scholar, Theron has also has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Mike Yarrow Adventurous Education Award and the Individually Developed Overseas Internship Award. Theron possesses an uncommon blend of native ability and commitment to others, with personal qualities that make him a born leader. His life experiences are wide ranging. Service has figured prominently, whether working with disadvantaged youth at home or with families in Honduras. Theron?s depth of humanity will sustain him as he pursues his goals to work for development organizations in the third world. Theron is unable to attend this evening?s reception as he is currently on internship in Washington, D.C. with the State Department. **NOTE: Theron?s father is in attendance this evening.