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Record Number of Nominations from College of Arts and Letters for Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships

A record number of Michigan State University College of Arts and Letters students and alumni have been nominated for two of the world’s most prestigious international scholarship programs, the Rhodes Scholarship and the Marshall Scholarship, both of which provide opportunities for graduate study in the United Kingdom.

Three College of Arts and Letters students and one alum are nominated for both the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, while three additional College of Arts and Letters students are nominated for the Marshall Scholarship.

Photo composite featuring headshots of seven Michigan State University students: Anastasia Breen, Kaylin Casper, Lily Dixon, Eleanor Pugh, Isabel Buckles, Kevin Koch, and Carolina Mercado. The portraits are arranged in two rows of four, with the Spartan helmet logo in the bottom-left corner.
Nominees for both the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships include (top row from left to right) Anastasia Breen, Kaylin Casper, Lily Dixon, and Eleanor Pugh. Additional nominees for the Marshall Scholarship include (bottom row from left to right) Isabel Buckles, Kevin Koch, and Carolina Mercado.

The nominees represent a range of academic disciplines within the college, including Arts and Humanities, German, Humanities-Prelaw, Professional and Public Writing, Russian, Spanish, Theatre, and Women’s and Gender Studies. Their nominations highlight the academic excellence, interdisciplinary learning, and diverse educational experiences of College of Arts and Letters students.

“These outstanding students and alumni exemplify the intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and commitment to leadership and service that we strive to cultivate within the College of Arts and Letters,” said Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters. “Their accomplishments demonstrate the value of an arts and humanities education and the opportunities that come from exploring ideas across disciplines. We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved and wish them the very best as they move through the selection process.”

“These outstanding students and alumni exemplify the intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and commitment to leadership and service that we strive to cultivate within the College of Arts and Letters.”

Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters

The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and one of the most prestigious international scholarship program, enabling outstanding students from around the world to pursue graduate study at the University of Oxford in England. Each year, Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to 32 students from the United States. MSU has had 20 Rhodes Scholars since the scholarship was established in 1902.

The Marshall Scholarship provides funding for approximately 50 U.S. students each year for one or two years for master’s degree study or up to three years for doctoral study at any United Kingdom university. MSU has had 20 Marshall Scholars since the scholarship was established in 1953.

Nominees for Both Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships

The College of Arts and Letters students and alumni who are among the MSU students nominated for both the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships are:

Headshot of Anastasia Breen smiling against a bright pink background. She has wavy auburn hair with bangs and wears a mustard-yellow top beneath a dark blazer.

Anastasia Breen is a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in Acting through the Department of Theatre in the College of Arts and Letters and International Relations through James Madison College. Breen is from Bay City, Michigan, and attended John Glenn High School.

Headshot of Kaylin Casper smiling outdoors. She has long, light brown hair and wears a white top with large orange flower earrings and matching fluffy tassels.

Kaylin Casper is a 2026 Honors College alum who earned a B.A. in Humanities-Prelaw with an additional major in Women’s and Gender Studies, both through the College of Arts and Letters, and a B.A. in Sociology through the College of Social Science. Casper is from Burbank, California, and attended John Burroughs High School.

Headshot of Lily Dixon smiling at the camera. She has long, dark brown hair and wears a dark green top with a silver necklace.

Lily Dixon is a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in Arts and Humanities through the School of Residential Community-Engaged Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Letters and Public Policy through the College of Social Science. Dixon is from Marquette, Michigan, and attended Marquette High School.

Headshot of Eleanor Pugh smiling in front of a red brick wall. She has long, straight brown hair and wears a dark jacket over a blue top.

Eleanor Pugh is a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in Russian through the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures in the College of Arts and Letters and international relations through James Madison College. Pugh is from Bethesda, Maryland, and attended Walt Whitman High School.

Additional Marshall Scholarship Nominees

Three additional College of Arts and Letters students are among MSU’s nominees for the Marshall Scholarship:

Headshot of Isabel Buckles smiling indoors. She has long, brown hair and wears a green blazer over a white top.

Isabel Buckles is a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in German through the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures in the College of Arts and Letters and International Relations through James Madison College. Buckles is from Northville, Michigan, and attended Troy High School.

Headshot of Kevin Koch smiling against a light gray background. He has short, wavy light brown hair and wears a dark, collared shirt.

Kevin Koch is a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in Spanish through the Department of Romance and Classical Studies in the College of Arts and Letters and Games and Interactive Media through the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Koch is from Crystal Lake, Illinois, and attended Prairie Ridge High School.

Headshot of Carolina Mercado smiling against a light gray background. She has long, dark brown hair and wears a white top and a small nose ring.

Carolina Mercado is a fourth-year Honors College student and Citizen Scholar who is majoring in Professional and Public Writing through the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures in the College of Arts and Letters. Mercado is from Novi, Michigan, and attended Novi High School.

Across the university, MSU nominated four students and two alumni for the Rhodes Scholarship and 10 students and two alumni for the Marshall Scholarship. Rhodes Scholarship recipients will be selected in November, while Marshall Scholarship results will be announced in the coming months.

MSU’s Distinguished Student Awards Office, housed within the Honors College, supports students and recent alumni throughout the competitive application process for nationally and internationally recognized scholarships and fellowships.

By Kim Popiolek
Sources: MSU Distinguished Student Awards Office announcements for the Rhodes Scholarship and Marshall Scholarship written by Anneliese Mackel

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