Summia Tora ’16, Afghanistan, has been named a Rhodes Scholar. She is the first student from her country and first female at Earlham College to receive the international postgraduate award to study at the University of Oxford in Britain.
Summia plans to pursue coursework in refugee studies, forced migration, and social entrepreneurship at Oxford. Her focus will be on internally displaced people in Afghanistan, and refugees in Pakistan and different parts of the world.
A senior at Earlham in Richmond, Ind., Summia is double majoring in economics, and peace and global studies.
“I was delighted with the news about Summia,” said Joanna Swanger, director and professor of the peace and global studies program at Earlham. “I had great confidence in her candidacy because of her unique combination of the characteristics of tremendous poise, humility, and courage she has shown, as well as the specific projects she has initiated that relate to peacebuilding. I truly see her as a future leader on the world stage.”