Princeton University senior Sophie Li has won the Rhodes Scholarship for Hong Kong. The prestigious fellowship funds one to three years of graduate study at the University of Oxford, where she will pursue an M.Sc. in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies.
Li, who is concentrating in politics, is also pursuing a certificate from the Humanities Council’s Program in Journalism. She has been active in the journalism program since her admission into John McPhee’s legendary “Creative Nonfiction” course in spring 2019.
In fall 2019, Li took “Migration Reporting” with Deborah Amos, Ferris Professor of Journalism in Residence and international correspondent for NPR. The course examined the differences between American and Canadian policies regarding immigration, asylum and refugee resettlement, and included a reporting trip to Winnipeg and Toronto over fall break.
“[Li’s] final project — on farming as a way to use ‘work’ to integrate Syrian and Yazidi refugees in Canada — showed an intimate understanding of the resettlement process and how particular work experiences can build a sense of dignity for newcomers,” Amos said. “I am delighted that she is focusing on migration issues at Oxford.”
Most recently, Li received a John McPhee ’53 Award for Summer Projects in Independent Journalism, which allowed her to spend the summer reporting profiles of individuals involved in Hong Kong’s embattled pro-democracy movement.
Read the full story on the University homepage.
