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Applications accepted now for UTSA Summer Law School Preparation Academy
Lauded program helps Texas students gain admission to quality law schools
UTSA students tour sites in four states to learn about The Movement
Students see key sites of Civil Rights Movement in New Orleans, Birmingham, Memphis
UTSA East Asia Institute offers free Korean language and culture class
Non-credit, 10-week course will run Feb. 21-May 4 at UTSA Main Campus
UTSA student Brittany Morales named Gilman scholar for spring 2012
International scholarship takes student to Ireland this semester
UTSA sponsors Feb. 16 half-day international trade mini-conference
Small business owners can learn about free-trade opportunities with Colombia
UTSA hosts Feb. 8-9 meeting of UT System Board of Regents
President Ricardo Romo to show newest facilities, discuss UTSA achievements
Buffalo Soldier Day is Saturday, Feb. 11 at Institute of Texan Cultures
Day's events give look at 1870s army regiments that won the West
UTSA Black Student Leadership Council presents original play Feb. 11
Part of Black History Month, 'Our Reins Reclaimed' centers on self-respect
UTSA Graduate School hosts information sessions in South Texas
Information sessions are in Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, Corpus Christi
Nursing honor society hosts Feb. 22 health-care research conference
Conference email registration deadline is Feb. 15
UT System Research Cyberinfrastructure Initiative to bring analysis growth
New initiative creates technical, cultural environment for data warehousing, analysis
S.A. Metro Health honors UTSA Roadrunner Cafe for healthy food choices
Main Campus eatery designated 'Por Vida!' healthy restaurant
University Excellence Awards: Nomination deadline extended to Feb. 10
Ceremony combines University Excellence Awards and Faculty Honors Convocation
Coordinating Board approves UTSA psychology doctorate in military health
New program is first in Texas, second in nation with emphasis on military support
Free or low-cost workshops: Learn from UTSA's small business experts
Learn about planning, government contracting, international trade, sustainability
Dinner and smart chat: Buy 'Great Conversation!' tickets now
UTSA fundraiser benefiting Honors College scholarships is Feb. 29
UTSA honors students to interview for Rhodes scholarships Nov. 20-21
Top photo: Jonathan Nomamiukor
Bottom photo: Carlos Castaneda
Share this Story(Nov. 19, 2009)--Two students in the UTSA Honors College, Jonathan Nomamiukor and Carlos Castaneda, are regional finalists in the 2009 Rhodes Scholarships competition. The students are UTSA's first finalists in the Rhodes competition in more than 20 years. Nomamiukor and Castaneda will interview in Houston Nov. 20-21 for the chance to become Rhodes scholars-elect.
The Rhodes Trust will select 32 Rhodes scholars from across the nation to spend 2-3 years studying at Oxford University in England. Approximately 300 college seniors are selected as finalists from across the country. The two UTSA students will compete with 17 students in the Texas region.
Nomamiukor is a 2006 graduate of Bowie High School in Arlington. At UTSA, he is pursuing an English major and an African American studies minor. If he wins the Rhodes scholarship, he plans to pursue a master of philosophy degree in restorative justice. Nomamiukor's interest in restorative justice stems from his belief that the legal system can change lives. His service activities include several years of volunteer work for the Rape Crisis Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Habitat for Humanity.
In spring 2009, he was selected as a UT System Archer Fellow and spent the semester in Washington, D.C., as an intern in the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of State. One of his projects there was to assist in writing a statement on equal opportunity employment and diversity that now hangs in all state department offices around the world. For the honors thesis he is writing under the direction of Bonnie Lyons, UTSA professor of English, Nomamiukor is using a testimonial genre and his own experience in volunteering for the Rape Crisis Center to write a story that encourages the improvement of interventions for victims and perpetrators of sexual violence.
Castaneda is a 2007 graduate of Health Careers High School in San Antonio. At UTSA, he is pursuing a political science major and a Spanish minor. If he becomes a Rhodes scholar, he plans to pursue a master of philosophy degree in development studies. His long-term goal is to do international work with immigrant communities. Castaneda also has a substantial record of leadership and service with medical mission work in Mexico with Los Quixotes and as president of the Toastmaster's organization. He is active with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the organization, Salvadorean Americans.
He has served as a Bexar County deputy registrar, is serving as an intern in the office of state Sen. Leticia van de Putte and writes columns on political issues for the bilingual newspaper, La Prensa. This fall, Castaneda is completing his honors thesis, "Mexico de Afuera: The Institute of Mexicans Abroad, Emigrant Communities and Transnational Agencies," under the direction of Francisco Durand, UTSA professor of political science and geography. In spring 2010, Castaneda will complete his final semester at UTSA in Washington, D.C., as a UT System Archer Fellow. He hopes to intern at the Brookings Institution or a similar think tank.
To date, the only UT System institution with a Rhodes scholar is the University of Texas at Austin. In 1984, Margaret Martinovich was the first UTSA student to be offered a Rhodes interview.
Nomamiukor and Castaneda are graduates of the UTSA Summer Law School Preparation Academy and both will graduate from UTSA in spring 2010 with highest honors and leadership honors in the Honors College. They were prepared for the Rhodes competition by Ben Olguin, UTSA associate professor of English, who became the Honors College assistant director of national scholarships and fellowships in 2007.
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