College and Wharton senior Florence Onyiuke named 2026 Rhodes Scholar

College and Wharton senior Florence Onyiuke was named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar.

The Rhodes Trust announced this year’s group of scholars on Nov. 15, with Onyiuke listed as one of 32 chosen from the United States. The Rhodes Scholarship, established in 1902, funds full-time graduate study at the University of Oxford for around 100 recipients worldwide each year. 

Onyiuke, originally from Altamonte Springs, Fla., plans to pursue a master’s degree in economic development with a specialization in West Africa while at Oxford. She is currently pursuing a dual degree in international relations and business as well as a minor in Spanish through the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business.

Onyiuke’s senior thesis examines the informal economy and socioeconomic mobility of West African street vendors in Barcelona, Spain based on research she conducted during her semester abroad last spring. 

Throughout her time at Penn, Onyiuke has served as a member of the College Dean’s Advisory Board as well as a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, Perry World House Student Fellow, and the executive director of Black Wharton Consulting. 

In high school, Onyiuke was named a Coca-Cola Scholar, Ron Brown Scholar, and recipient of both the Presidential Service and Educational Excellence Awards. 

According to the Rhodes Trust, nearly 2,800 U.S. students began the application process this year, with 965 receiving endorsements from 264 individual colleges and universities. Of that number, 238 candidates moved forward to the final round of interviews before 32 were chosen. The criteria for selection highlights academic excellence, passion, qualities such as courage, kindness, and “the moral force of character and instincts to lead.” 

Scholars receive Oxford tuition, an annual stipend of €20,400 for the 2025-26 academic year, and coverage for visa, travel, and health fees. The total value of the scholarship averages $75,000 annually and can reach up to around $250,000 for students pursuing extended programs.