Caleb Rice becomes only Florida student among 240 Rhodes finalists
The New College of Florida senior will interview next week for a graduate scholarship at Oxford.
By Tunde Bailey ·
Twenty-four students from across the United States have advanced to the final stage of the Rhodes Scholarship competition, a pool that includes only one applicant from a Florida institution. Caleb Rice, a senior at New College of Florida, is that sole representative. His selection marks the first time a currently enrolled student from the Sarasota-based honors college has reached this final round.
Rice is pursuing a dual degree in Psychology and Religion. The Rhodes Scholarship, established to support graduate study at the University of Oxford in England, evaluates candidates on academic achievement, leadership, character, and commitment to service. Rice’s academic focus centers on trauma, faith, and forced displacement, topics informed by his upbringing in the Peruvian Amazon among Indigenous communities. He speaks fluently in multiple ancient and modern languages.
The path to the final round began with his performance in the national competition, which narrowed the field to these 240 finalists. Rice’s profile distinguishes him within this group; he is the only finalist this year attending a public or private university in Florida. His background includes extensive work in the New College community, where he founded and leads the student organization New Life. He also serves in the college’s admissions office and regularly tutors resettled refugee youth.
President Richard Corcoran of New College of Florida commented on the achievement. “Caleb’s selection as a Rhodes Scholarship finalist is an extraordinary achievement that speaks to the exceptional caliber of students at New College of Florida and the strength of our distinctive academic experience,” Corcoran said. He added that Rice’s dedication to serving others reflects the intellectual curiosity and independent thinking the institution strives to cultivate.
The selection process moves to its final phase next week, when the 240 finalists will interview. Rice plans to pursue a Master of Philosophy in Philosophical Theology at the University of Oxford if selected. His proposed program builds on his interdisciplinary interests in the intersections of faith, human experience, and social challenges.
New College of Florida, founded in 1960, is the state’s designated public honors college. It offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in fields such as Applied Data Science and Marine Mammal Science. The campus, located on a 151-acre tract on Sarasota Bay, also supports a growing NAIA athletics program.
