Washington University’s Annika Rodriguez Scholars program recognizes students of exceptional merit who demonstrate academic and leadership achievements, as well as the passion for community service exemplified by Annika Rodriguez.
In keeping with the legacy of the program, applicants should demonstrate their commitment to, or a history of, bringing diverse groups together and celebrating the cultures of different people.
Involvement in the Community
Washington University has more than 300 student groups, spanning cultural, academic, religious, performance, community service, social, and athletic interests. These organizations do not just offer students an array of extracurricular activity options, but they tap Rodriguez Scholars’ leadership potential. Scholars have held leadership positions with such groups as Relay For Life, Association of Latin American Students, and the Emergency Support Team. Rodriguez Scholars have also had leading roles in Student Union and varsity athletics. They have even served as student representatives to the Washington University Board of Trustees.
Off-Campus Involvement
Civic involvement and community service were important aspects of Annika’s life, and her passions live on through this program. Rodriguez Scholars provide important volunteer support to organizations working to address social problems including the Latino Youth Mentoring Program and Casa de Salud, a community health clinic. The university’s Community Service Office and more than 30 student-run campus groups — including Alpha Phi Omega, the national coed service fraternity of which Annika was a member — support service opportunities.
Alumni of the program have gone on to pursue various opportunities, including:
- World-renowned medical, law, and graduate school programs
- Rhodes Scholarships
- Fulbright Fellowships
- Peace Corps, Teach For America, AmeriCorps, and other service programs
- Successful careers ranging from acting to international business through Citibank, Build-A-Bear, and other companies
Professional & Academic Achievements
Not only do Rodriguez Scholars enjoy great academic achievement at Washington University, but they are very successful in their post-graduation pursuits. As undergraduates, they earn prestigious, fulfilling internships including Mellon Mayes Fellowships; research positions with the Washington University School of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the National Institutes of Health; and positions with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brookings Institute, and Google. Being a part of the Rodriguez Scholars program means connecting to a network of outstanding individuals who open doors and inspire each other to greater success.
The Scholarship
Students who apply to any undergraduate division of Washington University may apply for the Annika Rodriguez Scholars Program. This internationally preeminent program is intended to foster a richly diverse educational atmosphere on campus and enhance the overall quality and diversity of the student body. If selected as a Rodriguez Scholar, you will be expected to participate in a program that includes orientation, meetings with university and community leaders, academic support and advising, the Rodriguez First-Year Seminar, and events with other Rodriguez Scholars. Scholars are also expected to become involved in activities on campus and in community service projects.
- Multiple full-tuition scholarships with $2,500 stipends
- Multiple partial-tuition scholarships
- Renewable annually, as long as the scholar is making satisfactory progress toward a degree
- Applicants may apply for other Academic Scholarship & Fellowship Programs that match their interests
The Rodriguez Program was founded on Four Pillars,
which all Rodriguez Scholars are expected to exemplify in order to be competitive for this program and embrace when they arrive on campus.
Academic Excellence
“Overall, the Rodriguez program has gone above and beyond from my initial expectations. Throughout the past four semesters, I have discovered that Rodriguez resembles more a family than a scholarship program. Students, alumni and faculty that are part of the Rodriguez family embrace their roles by constantly contributing their knowledge, expertise and time to the community. Ultimately, the Rodriguez program has been an integral part of my college experience. From helping me build some of my strongest friendships in college to providing me professional mentorship in my internship searches, the Rodriguez program has always been guiding me, and looking out for me.”
Leadership
The Rodriguez Scholars Program is known for its signature project, Strive for College. This project, founded at Washington University in 2007 by a Rodriguez Scholar, is now a national organization that helps low-income students navigate the college application process. Strive for College has recruited student volunteers from 100 colleges nationwide and has helped 2,000 students enroll in four-year colleges.
Manuela Araque, a current WashU student, serves as a mentor for the program and remembers her own college application process well. “The deadlines, the tests, the essays. It was a lot to manage, but I survived, and now I feel like I can help (others) with the process.”
Service to the Community
Civic involvement and community service were important aspects of Annika’s life, and her passions live through this program. Rodriguez Scholars provide important volunteer support to organizations working to address social problems including the Latino Youth Mentoring Program and Casa de Salud, a community health clinic.
The university’s Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and more than 30 student-run campus groups (including Alpha Phi Omega, the national coed service fraternity of which Annika was a member) support service opportunities.
Bringing Diverse Cultures Together
“The Annika Rodriguez Scholars program has been my home at WashU. Though each scholar is involved in a variety of groups that fit their diverse interests, the program has a unique structure that allows us to grow close to each other, like family. It is the Rodriguez program that I have found the most loyal and loving friends. One of my favorite memories as part of the program is from my first week at college. This is not only when I felt the feeling of home, but also when I learned how passionate and energized all the other scholars are. Watching their faces light up when they shared their interests ignited in me a desire to do all I do with the same kind of enthusiasm.”
In order to be considered for the Rodriguez scholarship, students must complete an application for admission to Washington University in St. Louis and a separate Rodriguez Scholars Application.
More information and apply for the Rodriguez Scholars Program
Office of Scholar Programs
Washington University in St. Louis
CB 1131
One Brookings Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
Julia Macias
Director, Annika Rodriguez Scholars Program
314-935-8379
Contact Julia by email
Location
Women’s Building, Suite 005
Hours
Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.