Rhodes graduates receive Fulbright Scholarships

Ashton Dingle

Rhodes University opens doors to further academic avenues with two Rhodes graduates having recently received Fulbright Scholarships. Luke Cadden and Ashton Dingle will soon be studying in America through the Fulbright Scholarship Programme.

Sponsoring U.S. and foreign participants for exchange in all areas of academia, the Fulbright Scholarship Programme was founded in 1946 with aims to increase mutual understanding between people of the United States and other countries. To date there have been more than 250,000 successful Fulbright students, scholars and teachers.

Cadden and Dingle will be adding to that number in August 2015. Cadden will read towards his Masters degree at Rutgers University in New Jersey while Dingle will be pursuing a PhD in Geophysics.

“I will be studying a Master of Arts degree in History with an emphasis on elements of gender as well as sexuality, in a pre/post-colonial Africa” says Cadden. “Rutgers is a great place to be and right on the doorstep of New York City.”

Dingle completed her BSc degree in Applied Mathematics and Physics, and also holds Honours in Physics and Electronics.

Arriving at Rhodes in 2011, Cadden heard about the scholarship in his second year through a mutual friend. By the time he was midway through his Honours degree, he received the news that he had been successful in his application earlier that year.

“I was casually browsing the net when an email from the Fulbright came through” explains Cadden. “Now, the foundation usually communicated important news via telephone so I had almost resigned myself to the fact that I was not successful. However, when I opened it, I let out this loud involuntary scream of sheer excitement. I honestly was not expecting to be awarded the scholarship. I felt really lucky but simultaneously delighted by the symbolic gesture the scholarship had on my life - in essence it felt as though my hard work did not go unnoticed.”

In his first and second years he involved himself in the athletics club, various productions at the Rhodes University Drama Department, and was on the debating society committee. His third year saw him taking up the position of head of the Environmental Portfolio for the Student Representative Council, while his final year at Rhodes was dedicated towards achieving his Honours in Organisational Psychology. Over his four years at Rhodes, if you picked up a copy of either of the student run, campus newspapers, Activate or The Oppidan Press, you could also find more than a few articles penned by Cadden.

It was his time on stage with the improvised comedy troupe, NatCaf however, that Cadden says he will treasure the most. “My time at Rhodes was highly eclectic and I kept myself furiously busy in order to avoid a myopic college experience” he says. “A highlight was my membership in NatCaf. It was here that I met some hilarious and now successful comedians as well as performed at the National Arts Festival. I think comedy still has a special place in my heart.”

“I have had the tremendous privilege of growing up and living in several countries. Therefore, the forthcoming change presents yet another adventurous challenge for me” he says. “I am essentially overwhelmed with the potential and excitement that the coming years will bring.  I’m not entirely sure what lies ahead and I think that’s the best part,” says Cadden.

Dingle’s description of her time and experiences at Rhodes are all-encompassing, as they allowed her sufficient space to grow and learn simultaneously. She was able to acquire much more knowledge than just that related to her academic training. She says: “I learnt more about persistence, motivation and the importance of having the right people in your life than I could have learnt anywhere else.”

Each application is pertinent to five different American universities, after which Fulbright decide on which institution will be best suited for successful candidates based on all the universities that accept their relevant offers. This Fulbright Scholarship will be providing full funding for Dingle to go and study in the Midwestern state of Kansas. Having felt confident and content with her application, Dingle will be looking forward to a thrilling academic adventure soon. After her PhD studies have been completed however, she will be required to return to South Africa for at least two years.

She also shares that although she has always kept her focus on studies in an applied field of physics; her discovery of Geophysics is fairly new. “I went on a field trip in the Karoo with a team from a university in Germany and the combination of working outdoors and the analytical physics makes it perfect for me.”

Dingle’s compelling passion for problem solving goes hand-in-hand with her passion for maths education. As a tutor for high school maths, she comments that this has further highlighted her desire to see logic developed in young minds.

Besides her academics, Dingle shares a love for rock-climbing. She has dedicated time to bettering this skill. She also enjoys song-writing. It would seem that Dingle’s exploits far surpass those directly evident in her academic and professional career because her creative flair also allows her to make leather jewellery on the side.  

The big change to America is met with much anticipation, and Dingle is definitely ready to make the move. Although Kansas is terribly cold and quite flat, a bit of a disappointing circumstance for an avid rock-climber, she maintains that she is completely prepared for this next chapter. This will be her first time living and studying overseas.

Much like Rhodes University and Grahamstown, Dingle will make the city of Laurence – in Kansas State – her new home. She shares the following: “I expect that the culture will be different to what I'm used to [but] the atmosphere around studying will be similar to Rhodes.” This is because the two cities are similar in that they are both university towns. So it is indeed probable that even though slightly bigger, Dingle will still be able to enjoy the same kind of intimacy and security as was part of her university years here at RU.

Dingle will spend four years in the States, and is due to return to SA in 2019. With hopes of one day extending her work to South America or around southern Africa, she says: “I see myself lecturing much later in life after I have had some experience in industry and consulting.”

Article by: Dave Mann and Anima McBrown

Picture: Luke Cadden and Ashton Dingle