Two Seniors Net Rhodes Honor

Two Harvard seniors were among the 32 American students named Rhodes Scholars this weekend.

Kristin N. Javaras '99-'00 of Kirkland House and Ilyana Kuziemko '00 of Currier House will spend the next year to two years studying at Oxford as a part of the coveted scholarship, which has been awarded for the last 97 years.

While in England, Javaras, a Chicago native, will study economics with an emphasis on econometrics.

After completing the grueling application process--which included cocktail parties with the selection committee and several intense interviews--Javaras said yesterday that she is still in shock about the honor.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, so right now I'm still calm," she said. "My first reaction was utter shock. Then I was of course overjoyed."

At Harvard Javaras has worked with Citystep and several Phillips Brooks House programs, and serves as a prefect. She is also a teaching fellow for Engineering Sciences 101, "Applied Statistics."

She planned to tell her class of the honor in section last night--before moving on to the day's work.

"They probably should [get a homework credit], though they've had a little reprieve on homework anyhow recently," she quipped. "They've been very patient while I've been traveling."

Kuziemko is an applied math and economics concentrator and sits on the student advisory committee of the Institute of Politics (IOP). She has also worked with Harvard Model Congress Europe.

She has also served as a teacher for the Civics program, a joint IOP and PBH program that allows Harvard students to teach elementary school children about politics and the media. Earlier this year, the Michigan native was also awarded a Truman scholarship.

According to Eugenia A. Lang '00, who was worked closely with Kuziemko at the IOP, Kuziemko has been a force for change at the organization.

"She has been one of the greatest forces for making the IOP the most open and accessible resource on campus as it can be," she said. "She really is not afraid to stand up to authority, to stand up for what she believes and what is right, which I just admire so much."

Kuziemko was not available for comment yesterday.

With three winners each, West Point Military Academy and Yale both outpaced Harvard's Rhodes crop. Including Javaras and Kuziemko, 295 Harvard students have won the scholarship--a total that exceeds all other universities.

Potential Rhodes scholars apply from either their home state or a state where they have attended college for at least two years. This year, the 32 American winners represent 26 different colleges and universities. They will join about 60 international scholars chosen from 18 different countries.