Meret Ebsary vividly remembers the moment her life changed.

After a rigorous selection process, the St. John’s native received the news that she had been chosen as Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2024 Rhodes scholar.

“It didn’t feel real at first,” she said. “All the other finalists were so talented. But after it sank in, it felt incredibly wonderful. I’m so, so grateful. This will change the trajectory of my life.”

The Rhodes Scholarship, the world’s oldest and most prestigious graduate fellowship, will allow Ms. Ebsary to pursue fully funded studies at the University of Oxford in the U.K.

Strengthening systems

A Memorial University alumna, Ms. Ebsary holds an international bachelor of arts (honours) degree in political science.

Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in global health at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, specializing in global health governance.

Inspired by the global challenges highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Ebsary says she was motivated to use her political background to explore the gaps in health-care policies.

“During the pandemic, many people, including myself, were grappling with a deep sense of loss and grief,” she said. “I felt strongly that things needed to change and that health-care systems ought to become more resilient in times of crisis.”

Community and opportunity

Born in St. Anthony and raised in St. John’s, Ms. Ebsary credits her community for her success.

As a first-generation university student, she says she wouldn’t be where she is today without the people who supported and raised her.

“While this achievement is due to hard work and dedication, it’s equally thanks to my teachers, mentors, family and friends.”

She also credits her professors at Memorial University for helping her discover her passions.

“Political theory sheds light not just on how the world is but on how it could be,” she said. “That sense of possibility is a significant source of my inspiration — the hope of contributing to a better tomorrow.”

Ms. Ebsary’s academic journey has been anything but linear, she says. Her interests and research span political science, global health and political history.

She says our lives aren’t always streamlined and “that’s normal and okay.”

“It’s important to embrace multiple interests and recognize that we don’t always need a crystal-clear plan for the future. Sometimes, what matters most is simply loving what we do in the moment.”

Her work has already earned her numerous opportunities and accolades. While at Memorial, her thesis on the women’s suffrage movement was awarded the Susan McCorquodale Memorial Scholarship.

She has also presented her work to high-level panels at the United Nations, developed tools to support One Health frameworks for non-governmental organizations and served as a protocol officer for the first Global Model World Health Organization.

Eyes ahead

In January, Ms. Ebsary will return to Memorial University to work with the Department of Gender Studies to provide research and organizational support for its upcoming Memorial centennial celebration events.

When asked about her plans once she completes her degree at Oxford, she says she envisions a future dedicated to amplifying the voices of historically marginalized groups in global political discourse.

“In all honesty, wherever the future takes me I see myself doing something I love — whether that’s research or something more hands-on in government and politics.”