{"id":6788,"date":"2023-11-27T18:04:23","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T22:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=6788"},"modified":"2023-11-27T18:04:23","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T22:04:23","slug":"henry-ford-college-alumnus-named-rhodes-scholar-for-2024-one-of-just-32-people-nationwide-to-win-the-internationally-prestigious-honor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/henry-ford-college-alumnus-named-rhodes-scholar-for-2024-one-of-just-32-people-nationwide-to-win-the-internationally-prestigious-honor\/","title":{"rendered":"Henry Ford College alumnus named Rhodes Scholar for 2024, one of just 32 people nationwide to win the internationally prestigious honor"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 27, 2023, Dearborn, Mich.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Henry Ford College (HFC) is proud to announce that alumnus Emmanuel Orozco Castellanos has won the internationally prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and will attend the University of Oxford in England for the 2024-25 academic year.<\/p>\n

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Castellanos has the distinction of being the first Rhodes Scholar to have attended HFC before transferring. He earned his bachelor\u2019s degree last December from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI can say that I was utterly surprised when I learned that I won this scholarship. I\u2019m still shocked and humbled,\u201d said Castellanos, of Ecorse. \u201cAfter my final interview with the Rhodes Scholarship Committee in Detroit, District 11 Secretary Trina R. Shanks came out and read the winners\u2019 names. When she said my name, I froze for a good 15 seconds. People started hugging me and shaking my hand and celebrating. That\u2019s when it hit me. I was speechless.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Established in 1902 through the will of Cecil John Rhodes \u2013 a British businessman and politician \u2013 the Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest international graduate scholarship in the world and is considered one of the most prestigious. Rhodes wanted to promote unity and instill a sense of civic-minded leadership in future leaders.<\/p>\n

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Rhodes Scholars are chosen in a two-stage process. Applicants must be endorsed by their college or university. This year, more than 2,500 students began the application process and 862 were ultimately endorsed by 249 different colleges and universities. Committees of Selection in each of 16 districts in the United States then invited the strongest applicants to appear before them for interviews.<\/p>\n

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In the end, just 32 Rhodes Scholars \u2013 including Castellanos \u2013 were chosen from across the U.S.<\/p>\n

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They will join an international group of scholars chosen from 70 countries around the world.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA Rhodes Scholar should have great ambition for social impact and an uncommon ability to work with others to achieve one\u2019s goals. They should be committed to make a strong difference for good in the world, be concerned for the welfare of others, and be acutely conscious of inequities,\u201d said American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust Dr. Ramona L. Doyle.<\/p>\n

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The Rhodes Trust pays for all college and university fees. It also provides a stipend to cover expenses while in residence at Oxford and transportation to and from England. The total value of the Rhodes Scholarship averages about $75,000 per year and up to as much as $250,000 for Rhodes Scholars who remain at Oxford for four years.<\/p>\n

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Two notable Rhodes Scholars include former President Bill Clinton and\u00a0Good Morning America<\/em>\u00a0co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. Castellanos is humbled to be in such company.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t think anyone could be prepared to experience something like this,\u201d said Castellanos. \u201cI can tell you that I feel incredibly humbled and privileged for this opportunity. I also feel a great sense of responsibility. This was only possible because of the many people who have supported me throughout the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A native of Mexico, Castellanos is the middle of five children. His family immigrated to the U.S. when he was 17 to be closer to extended family.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy dad completed elementary school and my mom completed the third grade. Both of them have a great work ethic and wanted their kids to get an education. My parents said that they wanted education to be their legacy. They often said that they weren\u2019t going to leave us any wealth, but they wanted to ensure that they gave us an education,\u201d said Castellanos.<\/p>\n

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Castellanos attended high school in Mexico and then completed his senior year at River Rouge High School. He enrolled at HFC after graduation. His twin sister, Luz, also attended HFC and is planning to apply to HFC\u2019s renowned Nursing program. Castellanos and his siblings are first-generation college students.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen I first moved to Michigan, I wanted to go to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, but I didn\u2019t do well on the SAT. I applied to U-M and was not admitted. Then I learned about the Transfer Bridges to the Humanities program at HFC, which was launched that same year (2018). Learning there was a pathway to transfer to U-M by first attending HFC convinced me to enroll at HFC,\u201d recalled Castellanos.<\/p>\n

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The first person Castellanos met at HFC was the late Dr. Michael Daher, the director of the Henry Ford II Honors Program. Daher became his mentor.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI was not completely proficient in English at the time. I remember going to his office and apologizing for my broken English. He just smiled. He was very encouraging and kind. When he interviewed me for the Honors Program, I remember his last question was, \u2018What\u2019s your favorite book?\u2019 I told him\u00a0Steppenwolf<\/em>\u00a0by German writer Hermann Hesse,\u201d said Castellanos. \u201cHe was thrilled. Then he told me with a big smile that I was accepted into the Honors Program! I remember going out to the parking lot and looking up at the American flag. I was so grateful that he took a chance on me. When I told him two years later that I got into U-M, he was more excited than I was! He would have been so proud to hear about the Rhodes Scholarship. I\u2019m so grateful for everything he did for me and, in a sense, this award is part of his legacy too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Castellanos \u2013 who is fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in Portuguese and French \u2013 studied liberal arts at HFC and completed the Michigan Transfer Agreement. He transferred to U-M and earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in international relations with minors in critical translation studies and Latin American and Caribbean studies. At Oxford, Castellanos will pursue two master\u2019s degrees: The first in refugee studies and the second in Latin American studies.<\/p>\n

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During his time at U-M, Castellanos was president of the Global Scholars Program. He was a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the Youth Forum. He was also selected for the 2021-22 Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship.<\/p>\n

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HFC prepared Castellanos not only for U-M, but also for Oxford. He does not believe he would be the student and thinker he is today if he had not attended HFC first.<\/p>\n

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\u201cUnquestionably,\u201d he said. \u201cThe writing classes at HFC, in particular, prepared me to tell my own story and to claim that story with pride. As a transfer student, I often try to remind other transfer students that their unconventional journey shows determination in pursuing their education. I was fortunate to have professors who taught me that my story, albeit unusual, was worth telling. I would encourage all of them to hold on to the unconventional or nontraditional parts of their journeys.\u201d<\/p>\n

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At HFC, English instructors Angela Hathikhanavala and Pedro San Antonio and political science instructor Dr. Anthony Perry were very influential on Castellanos.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey nurtured my curiosity. They held a space for me and encouraged me to use my voice. They believed in me when I didn\u2019t. Pedro was incredibly welcoming to multi-lingual students. He taught the first English writing class I took in college. It was a life-changing course because he exposed us to marginalized voices as we reflected together on complex social problems. For example, we read\u00a0The Fire Next Time<\/em>\u00a0by James Baldwin, which sparked something in me. Years later, I try to read it once every summer,\u201d he said. \u201cLikewise, Angela had us read\u00a0The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America\u2019s Great Migration<\/em>\u00a0by Isabel Wilkerson. For that class, we had to write about our migration experience. I\u2019ve drawn so much inspiration from the essay I wrote called \u2018El Norte,\u2019 which describes my grandparents\u2019 experiences as bracero workers. Writing their story was so influential, I even mentioned it on the Rhodes application. The research I conducted at U-M inspired this form of migrant storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hathikhanavala also taught Castellanos in a Directed Study honors course that focused on community service. He spent the semester volunteering at Freedom House Detroit, a non-profit organization that assists refugees seeking asylum. After the course was over, Castellanos continued on at Freedom House to provide translation services.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Honors Program at HFC was as challenging as a lot of the courses I took at U-M,\u201d said Castellanos. \u201cThe Honors Program let me conduct independent studies and research. I\u2019m particularly grateful to Dr. Perry for his mentorship. He enthusiastically advised my independent study project that explored the historical roots of forced migration in Central America. That\u2019s the field of study I\u2019ll be pursuing at Oxford.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to say about Emmanuel, and all of it in superlative terms,\u201d said San Antonio. \u201cWhat struck me at first was his intellectual curiosity.\u00a0He is seldom satisfied with easy answers.\u00a0He explores and measures ideas.\u00a0One of his best academic assets is his ability to ask difficult questions.\u00a0But along with his curiosity, there is a generosity of spirit, which is a rare combination.\u00a0Perhaps my biggest admiration comes from the knowledge that he has yet to reach his full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

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At U-M, Castellanos did not plan to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship. That was taken out of his hands when U-M Director of the Global Scholars Program, Dr. Benjamin Peters, nominated Castellanos for U-M\u2019s MLK Spirit Award, which is awarded to people in the U-M community exemplifying the leadership and vision of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. U-M\u2019s Office of National Scholarships typically invites recipients of the MLK Spirit Award to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDuring his time in the U-M Global Scholars Program, Emmanuel\u00a0stood out for his keen intellect, inclusive leadership style, and commitment to global citizenship,\u201d said Peters. \u201cWe were proud of him when he was a 2023 recipient of the MLK Spirit Award and even prouder when he was named a Rhodes Scholar. Knowing Emmanuel,\u00a0I expect he will complete his graduate studies at Oxford with distinction and make significant contributions in the field and practice of international human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Castellanos hopes to strengthen the inter-American asylum regime. Even though countries in the Western Hemisphere share a history of welcoming refugees, he believes current regional cooperation and migration management mechanisms need to be more efficient and humane. His career goal is to work for a non-governmental organization that aids refugees and to work for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI would like to provide humanitarian assistance for people who have been displaced,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Hathikhanavala has kept in touch with Castellanos after he left HFC and is proud of her former student.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s hard to sum up Emmanuel in a quote,\u201d said Hathikhanavala. \u201cBut when I got to know him, I do recall saying\u2014possibly right to his face\u2014that he would be running the world one day. As a Rhodes Scholar, it appears he’s on his way! His thoughtfulness and kind but thoroughly well-informed understanding of the obstacles faced by asylum seekers and other refugees means his contributions to the world will only make it a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PHOTO:<\/strong>\u00a0Emmanuel Orozco Castellanos is the first Henry Ford College alumnus to be named a Rhodes Scholar.<\/p>\n

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