UURAF presenter and MSU alumna named Rhodes Scholar

Anna Esenther, a 2019 Michigan State University graduate, has been named a Rhodes Scholar. She is the 20th Rhodes Scholar from MSU. 

An Honors College graduate, Esenther holds degrees in economics, psychology, history, education and statistics.

“I’m thrilled to join the 2020 class of Rhodes Scholars and I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to study economics at Oxford,” she said. “My greatest hope is that my selection amplifies the voices of both teachers and underrepresented populations in economics.”

Esenther is from Ashland, Massachusetts. She is currently a first-grade teacher at Inca Elementary in Buckeye, Arizona.

“As the 20th Rhodes Scholar from Michigan State University, Anna has earned every Spartan’s pride for being selected for arguably the most prestigious international scholarship award,” said President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. “Anna exemplifies the highest values of the Spartan community and she will be a wonderful representative at the University of Oxford in England.”

The Rhodes Trust, the oldest of the major international competitive award foundations, provides 100 of the most outstanding students across the world an opportunity to study at the University of Oxford in England. Rhodes Scholarships are offered in 22 countries, with the United States receiving 32 of the 100 scholarships.

“Anna has demonstrated a sustained commitment to leadership, service and research,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the Honors College. “I join the mentors, teachers, family, friends and the entire MSU community in congratulating Anna for being named a Rhodes Scholar.”

“Anna is a fitting recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship,” said Helen Zoe Veit, associate professor in the Department of History. “She is smart, motivated and colossally energetic. A first-rate researcher as well as a beautiful writer, Anna has a passionate interest in both history and economics that has already led her to unique insights in both fields. On top of all this, she is an impressively dedicated community volunteer.”

In 2015, Esenther received a University Distinguished Scholarship to attend MSU, which provides full tuition, room and board and a stipend for up to eight semesters of study.