BROOKINGS – South Dakota State University senior Hattie Seten likes being busy. The Sioux Falls native is majoring in political science, global studies and Spanish and serves as the Students’ Association president.
Despite all of those responsibilities, Seten is also a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, which is a fully funded postgraduate award for students from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. This scholarship seeks students who are “young leaders of outstanding intellect and character, who are motivated to engage with global challenges.” She interviews this weekend.
“It is an honor to be a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. I feel fortunate to be able to represent South Dakota State University in the final interview round,” Seten said. “Being a Rhodes finalist is meaningful to me because this scholarship seeks young people who are committed to making a difference. In just about everything that I do, I integrate academic excellence, leadership, public service and my own personal mission to make the world a better place, so it is an honor to be recognized.”
Seten is the second Jackrabbit in as many years to be a finalist. Connor Haaland, who is now studying at Harvard Law School, was one last year. Major Gen. Alan A. Nord ’52 earned a master’s degree in general chemistry from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. The Faulkton native is SDSU’s lone Rhodes Scholar.
If selected, Seten plans to continue being busy. She would like to pursue master’s degrees in global governance and diplomacy and one in refugee and forced migration studies.
Seten has already lived in Marrakech, Morocco, and Amman, Jordan, studying Arabic under a U.S. Department of State National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholarship and a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship. She was also a fellow in the Public Policy and International Affairs Program at Princeton University this past summer and completed an internship with the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Her career goals include working with the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer.
“I would not be in the final round if it were not for the support of family, friends, faculty, staff, administrators, mentors and SDSU’s national scholarships team. I am thankful for all of the encouragement that I have received from so many individuals,” Seten said.
