On November 16, 2024, the American Rhodes Trust selected 32 2025 Rhodes Scholars who will receive fully-funded education at the University of Oxford for a period of two to three years. This year, the American Rhodes Scholar class included Sayda Martinez-Alvarado ’23, a recent graduate, and Angelin Mathew ’25, a current Yale senior. Chriss Tuyishime ’25, from Rwanda, was also awarded an international Rhodes scholarship.
All three scholars hold strong affiliations with Dwight Hall. Below, learn more about how Dwight Hall has shaped their academic and public service trajectories and inspired their future studies at Oxford.
Sayda Martinez-Alvarado ’23
During her time at Yale, Sayda was a leader of Matriculate at Yale, a Dwight Hall student-led member group that pairs undergraduate advisors like Sayda with high-achieving, low-income juniors and seniors at high schools across America. Sayda was involved in the organization from her first year and later served as Head Advising Fellow, liaising with Matriculate staff and hiring and managing other advising fellows.
Her extensive mentorship experiences in organizations like Matriculate were crucial to defining the structural inequalities Sayda seeks to address as a Rhodes Scholar. “Mentoring was a huge part of my time at Yale, and experiences like advising through Matriculate helped highlight the inequities present throughout the college application process and the education system generally. With the Rhodes [scholarship], I plan to study how we can most effectively tackle the issue of social immobility present throughout the education system so that every student has equal opportunity and access to a life-changing educational experience. Specifically, I proposed two masters degrees: MSc in Education (Higher Education) and MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation,” she said.
In her senior year, Sayda served as Head First-Year Counselor (FroCo) for Davenport College. In her role, she connected first-year students to service opportunities at Dwight Hall, helping foster a new class of engaged and active community members.
“When I was a FroCo my senior year, I always appreciated knowing that Dwight Hall was a well-operated machine that I could always point first-years to who were looking for volunteer opportunities,” she explained. “I love that Dwight Hall helps students connect with volunteer opportunities of varying intensities. Whether you are mentoring students weekly or volunteering with a soup kitchen once a month, Dwight Hall will help find something for you!”
Angelin Mathew ’25
Angelin is an active member of HAVEN Free Clinic (HAVEN), a student-run partnership with Yale Medical School that provides uninsured members of the New Haven community with free and quality healthcare. Dwight Hall is a fiscal sponsor of the ¡ANDA! 5K, one of HAVEN’s largest annual fundraisers.
“I volunteered with HAVEN in the Education Department for three years, working directly with patients to understand their health goals, help modify their diet and lifestyle, and manage chronic conditions,” Angelin explained. “I loved spending my Saturdays empowering the community.”
According to Angelin, working with HAVEN Free Clinic was a formative experience that put her in contact with mentors and helped motivate her interest in listening and caring for patients. “It was an honor to be part of HAVEN’s mission to deliver high-quality, free healthcare,” she said. “I am grateful for my director who wrote one of the Rhodes letters of recommendation. I was inspired to learn what motivated my patients and get feedback from them on what made them feel heard. Furthermore, HAVEN was what solidified my interest in direct patient care.”
As a Rhodes Scholar, Angelin plans to continue helping patients by examining how spirituality and medicine intersect for patients, particularly in palliative care. At Oxford, she will study for a M.St. in the Study of Religions, followed by a M.Sc. in Medical Anthropology.
Chriss Tuyishime ’25
Chriss is a senior majoring in Ethics, Politics, and Economics. He is also an active member of Yale Interpretation Network, a Dwight Hall member group which provides pro-bono translation and interpretation services to members of the New Haven community.
At Oxford, Chriss plans to pursue master’s degrees in public policy and translational health sciences.
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The 2025 Rhodes Scholars highlight the Grow pillar of Dwight Hall’s Engage, Grow, and Advance program delivery model. As individuals eager to tackle the world’s challenges, these scholars embody the kind of social impact leaders Dwight Hall is developing through its member groups and programs.
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