Three Yale seniors have been named recipients of Marshall Scholarship awards following a rigorous and highly competitive selection process.
The three — Erika Lynn-Green, Amanda Royka, and David Shimer — are among 43 American students who will take degree courses at leading British universities beginning in September 2018.
“I’m proud to congratulate the recipients of this year’s Marshall Scholarship, who represent the brightest young minds and leaders the U.S. has to offer,” said Sir Kim Darroch, British ambassador to the United States. “For over six decades, the Marshall Scholarship has played an important part in maintaining the strong bonds of friendship between our two countries. This further expansion of scholarships continues to demonstrate our commitment to our special relationship with the U.S. and promoting strong academic ties.”
Christopher Fisher, who chairs the Marshall Scholarship Programme, added; “I look forward to welcoming another outstanding class of Marshall Scholars to the U.K. next year. Marshall Scholars are wonderful students, and their presence in British universities is a mutually enriching experience which creates great promise for our common future.”
This year’s class of Marshall Scholars is the largest in a decade. The Marshall Scholarships were established in 1953 as a British gesture of thanks to the United States for the assistance received after World War II under the Marshall Plan. Financed by the British government, the highly competitive scholarships provide an opportunity for American students who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership to continue their studies for two to three years at a British university.
The expanded 2018 class also includes the first Marshall Scholarship funded by the Marshall Scholarship Endowment Fund. Created by the Association of Marshall Scholars, the official alumni organization for the Marshall Scholarship, the fund will support one scholarship in perpetuity beginning this year. The fund is made possible by donations from over 200 Marshall Scholars, as well as a matching grant by Marshall Scholar and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman.
Over the years, Marshall Scholars have gone on to become university presidents, Pulitzer Prize-winners, MacArthur Fellows, Supreme Court justices, and more.
Congratulations to History Major, David Shimer on being named a Marshall Scholar!
David Shimer, of Chappaqua, New York, will graduate in May with a B.A. and M.A. in history and Phi Beta Kappa honors. He was editor-in-chief of the Yale Daily News, America’s oldest college daily newspaper, and reported from the Berlin bureau of The New York Times last summer. He is a Harry S. Truman Scholar. During the 2016 election cycle, Shimer interned for Hillary Clinton’s campaign policy and debate preparation teams. He will pursue an D.Phil. in international relations at the University of Oxford.
Read more about the Yale selections at Yale News.