Off to Oxford

By Kelly Foss | Dec. 9, 2014

Devin Grant

Devin Grant has always enjoyed seeking answers to his questions.

As a child, he preferred working on a book of math problems to watching television cartoons. As he grew, the questions changed, but the love of finding solutions remained.

That appreciation will serve Mr. Grant well as Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2015 Rhodes Scholar.

Each year, 11 outstanding Canadian students are chosen on the basis of exceptional intellect, character, leadership and commitment to services to study at the University of Oxford.

The St. John’s resident is currently in his fifth year of studies at Memorial University and is nearing completion of a honours degree in applied math with a minor in computer science.

A regular on the dean’s list, Mr. Grant has also been heavily involved with Memorial’s student union and the United Nations Society, is a member of the award-winning Newman’s Sound Men’s Choir and a founding member of The Night Caps, an all-male vocal quartet specializing in holiday performances. He has also been involved in several musical productions.

Although Mr. Grant was always aware of the Rhodes Scholarship program, it wasn’t something he had ever intended to look into.

“I didn’t want to apply just for the sake of applying, until I came across a program at Oxford, the master’s in mathematical modelling and scientific computing,” he said. “I found the program really intriguing and figured if it was something I was going to apply for anyway, why not try for the Rhodes as well.”

This summer Mr. Grant worked through the application process, which included a personal statement, curriculum vitae, transcript, a letter of institutional endorsement and six personal references.

“I still don’t think it has sunk in fully,” he said. “Right now I’m focused on my exams and getting the work done that’s needed to finish up the semester. Once the Christmas break begins, I’m sure it will really hit me.”

Mr. Grant will begin his master’s at Oxford in October.

“The idea of the program is to take a real world problem, apply mathematical models to it and solve it numerically using analytical and computational skills. I see the program as equipping me with a tool set. By the time I finish I will have developed the skills to identify these problems and approach them.

“To be able to learn how to answer all of these questions and tackle problems that seem insurmountable is an incredible opportunity, and I truly believe that it is the opportunity that this program provides. There are a lot of different areas I can apply this knowledge to and I think the open-endedness of it all is exciting.”

One thing Mr. Grant knows for certain is that he truly appreciates the support of the Rhodes Trust. He says the organization has been “incredibly helpful” in terms of providing advice during the application process and in choosing a college. He also says he senses there is a strong community among the Rhodes Scholars.

“We are all meeting in the third week of September for a dinner in Toronto before we head over. So I can get to know everyone and start developing that support group. I think that’s going to be a huge benefit.”

 

 


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