MACON – Mercer University senior Sachin Khurana, a finance, economics and management triple-major from Macon, was a finalist for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and most well-known award available to American college students for international study.
“I am greatly honored to be a Rhodes Scholarship finalist,” he said. “The dedication and devotion that all of my professors and coaches have shown me over the past three years reflects the abundance of support that students receive from this institution, which ultimately culminated in my long-term dream of applying for the Rhodes Scholarship. Although I did not receive the scholarship, I try to remain optimistic that when one door closes, another opens.”
Only 32 American students were notified of their selection as Rhodes Scholars in late November. Begun in 1902, the scholarship provides expenses for two to four years of graduate study at the University of Oxford.
During the first of a two-stage selection process, applicants are endorsed by their college or university. This year, more than 2,900 students applied, and 963 were endorsed by 298 different institutions. Selection committees in each of 16 U.S. districts then invite the strongest applicants for an interview. Khurana participated in these interviews, held Nov. 22-23, as one of 236 applicants from 90 different institutions who reached the final stage of the competition. Each district committee may select only two Rhodes Scholars from the state or states within the district.
Including this year’s scholars, 3,516 Americans have won Rhodes Scholarships representing 324 colleges and universities. Mercer has had two Rhodes Scholars in its history.
Khurana was born and raised in Macon, where he attended Stratford Academy.
At Mercer, in addition to his triple-major, he is a triple-minor in mathematics, statistics and philosophy. Following graduation in May, he plans to pursue a career in investment banking and a graduate degree.
“Sachin is the most well-rounded and grounded student I have ever taught at Mercer. His firmness of purpose and solidness of commitment in pursuit of goals, self-drive, attention to detail and desire to make other students better are enduring traits that define him,” said Dr. Geoffrey Ngene, associate professor of financial economics at Mercer. “Working with Sachin is always an exciting and rewarding experience.”
Khurana currently holds a 4.0 grade-point average and is a recipient of Mercer’s Presidential Scholarship and a partial athletic scholarship. He is an Honors Program Research Scholar and has received grant funding from Mercer’s BB&T Center for Undergraduate Research in Public Policy and Capitalism, first-place prize money from the University of Georgia’s Student Innovation Competition, and was selected as a finalist in Mercer’s Next Big Idea Competition.
He is a member of Mercer’s men’s tennis team and president of four business-related organizations on campus, including the Student-Managed Investment Fund, Financial Management Association, Bear Market Newsletter and Beta Alpha Psi Finance Society.
He has studied international economics over the summer at the University of Oxford, participated in investment banking and alternative investment internships at Stifel Financial and Raymond James Financial, respectively, and taken part in additional internships at SCORE Mentors and Operation HOPE. He has participated in a Mercer On Mission trip to the Dominican Republic and a study abroad experience in Greece.
Khurana is a peer tutor in finance, economics and accounting at the Academic Resource Center and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, Office of Student Conduct and Resolution, and Honor Council. He has also served as a member of the Student Government Association’s Fiscal Affairs Committee, a supplemental instructor for the Academic Resource Center and a contributing writer for The Cluster student newspaper.
He has been selected as a team member representing Mercer in the CFA Research Challenge, Georgia InVenture Prize Competition and EPA P3 – People, Prosperity and the Planet Program. He has presented numerous research projects at more than a dozen academic conferences, including the 2019 World Congress on Undergraduate Research in Germany.
