Vermont’s Lena Ashooh Named 2025 Rhodes Scholar
In a prestigious acknowledgment, Lena Ashooh of Shelburne has been awarded the 2025 Rhodes Scholarship, marking a significant achievement for Vermont, which has not seen a winner in nearly two decades. Ashooh is one of 32 Rhodes Scholars selected from over 3,000 applicants across the United States, and she becomes the state’s 43rd Rhodes Scholar since the program began in 1903.
A graduate of Champlain Valley Union High School in 2021, Ashooh is currently a senior at Harvard University where she has created a unique interdisciplinary major in animal studies that combines philosophy, psychology, biology, and political science. Her work focuses on the social injustices faced by both animals and vulnerable human populations.
During her high school years, Ashooh was recognized for her community service, founding the group Mi Vida, Mi Voz to connect children of migrant farmworkers. Her dedication to social issues continued at Harvard, where she has lobbied for environmental justice, interned with Vermont Rep. Becca Balint, and participated in research on macaque monkeys in Puerto Rico.
In her postgraduate studies at Oxford, Ashooh plans to delve into animal ethics, exploring the philosophical concepts related to individual respect and rights, with aspirations to later attend law school. She has expressed a desire to return to Vermont, a state she considers a leader in progressive ideas, to implement innovative policies for a brighter future.
As she prepares for this next chapter at Oxford, Ashooh’s commitment to both animals and humanity underscores her belief in advocating for social justice across all species.
Source
Photo credit vtdigger.org
