WASHINGTON, DC - Hannah Blakey, a senior on the Army West Point women's track and field team, has been named one of 32 Americans chosen as Rhodes Scholars announced by Elliot F. Gerson, American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust, on November 20.
Blakey, a native of Detroit, is the Brigade Executive Officer in the Corps of Cadets as well as President of a leadership initiative for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Blakey is one of three Cadets-in-Charge of the Elevation initiative mentorship club and is a preschool and kindergarten Sunday school teacher. Blakey holds a 4.123 cumulative grade-point average and is a six-time Dean's List member. She has been named to the Patriot League All-Academic team, the Patriot League Honor Roll, and inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma - the national honor society for athletes.
On the track, she holds the program record in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles set at the 2021 Patriot League Championships and is a member of the record-setting 4x400 meter relay set in January 2020. Last season, she posted a total of six event wins and had top-two finishes in nine of the 10 events during the indoor season. She had four event wins and posted top-two finishes in all nine races she competed in during the outdoor season.
She is majoring in Persian and French with her academic work exploring the effects of forced migration in Persian-speaking communities. At Oxford, Hannah will pursue both a Master of Science in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and a Master of Science in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation.
"When we first started working with Hannah we didn't know quite what we had with her," said Army director of cross country and track field Mike Smith. "She was so versatile that we thought she would have the most success in the heptathlon. She was fast, elastic, coordinated, and strong. She was essentially a complete athlete. Her willingness to play any role on our team helped us to hone her skills and eventually we figured out how to maximize her talents. Now she is a shining star in everything from the short sprints to the intermediate hurdles. She currently holds our school record in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles and is a member of our record-setting 4x400 meter relay. What I didn't know when I first met her but have come to realize is that Hannah's versatility and complete skillset extends way beyond her physical attributes. She is a brilliant student and possesses the type of engaging personality that draws people close. She has the unique ability to make everyone around her better. She will have a significant impact on our ability to be successful as a team and an even greater impact on the Oxford community while she pursues her post-graduate studies. She will be an excellent ambassador for the United States Military Academy and our country. We are fortunate to have Hannah in our program and thrilled that her hard work and commitment have been rewarded with this prestigious honor."
The United States Military Academy had four Cadets - Krista Flinkstrom, Veronica Lucian, Holand Pratt, and Blakey - receive Rhodes Scholarships bringing the total to 100 West Point Cadets to be named Rhodes Scholars. The four Cadets selected are tied with Harvard University for the most recipients this year. This is the first time in West Point's history to have four women American Rhode Scholars awarded concurrently. The last time West Point had four Rhodes Scholars was in 1959. This is the second-straight year that a Cadet-Athlete has been named a Rhodes Scholar as Tyrese Bender, who was a captain on the men's track and field team, was selected in 2020.
Rhodes Scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford-ranked the #1 university in the world in many global rankings-and may allow funding in some instances for four years. Mr. Gerson called the Rhodes Scholarships, "the oldest and best-known award for international study, and arguably the most famous academic award available to American college graduates." The Scholarships were created in 1902 by the Will of Cecil Rhodes and are provided in partnership with the Second Century Founders, John McCall MacBain O.C. and The Atlantic Philanthropies, and many other generous benefactors. The first class of American Rhodes Scholars entered Oxford in 1904; those elected today will enter Oxford in October 2022.
Rhodes Scholars are chosen in a two-stage process. First, applicants must be endorsed by their college or university. This year more than 2,300 students began the application process; 826 were endorsed by 247 different colleges and universities. Committees of Selection in each of 16 U.S. districts then invite the strongest applicants to appear before them for an interview. Each district interviewed at least 14 finalists. The class includes 22 women, the most ever elected in a year, and has winners from 24 different colleges and universities.
Francis R. Johnson was the first West Point cadet to be named a Rhodes Scholar in 1923. In 1959, West Point won six Rhodes Scholarships and Heisman Trophy winner, Pete Dawkins, was among this distinguished group.
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