FORMER Harden Murrumburrah man Jacob Taylor has won a Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most highly sought after and prestigious scholarships available.
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Only nine Rhodes Scholarships are awarded each year.
The scholarship is available in Australia to enable outstanding students - chosen on the basis of exceptional intellect, character, leadership, participation in sport and commitment to service - to study at the University of Oxford for up to three years.
Previous Australian recipients of a Rhodes Scholarship have pursued a variety of careers in public service, academia, business, law, and medicine, amongst others. Many have achieved notable distinction, including: former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, former Governor-General Sir Zelman Cowen Opposition Leaders Kim Beazley, and Malcolm Turnbull, to name a few.
The son of John Taylor and Julia Atkin of Harden, Jacob attended Murrumburrah Primary School and was very active in a range of sports representing Harden-Murrumburrah at local, district, Riverina regional and state levels.
During his high school years Jacob was a boarder at Canberra Grammar School and completed his high school years with distinction - School Captain, ACT Schoolboys Rugby XV, ACT U17 Cricket team and NSW Premier’s Award for outstanding all round academic success in the NSW HSC.
Jacob was awarded an Australia China Council scholarship and studied at Liaoning University in Shenyang, China in 2006 before beginning his degree at Sydney University. In 2008, Jacob returned to China to work at the Beijing Olympics, before completing an exchange semester in sociology and social anthropology at Peking University.
On return to Australia he completed a Bachelor of Arts-Languages majoring in anthropology and Chinese. He received the University Medal for combined honours on completion of his degree in 2010. Since 2009 Jacob has represented Australia in Rugby Sevens and is currently vice captain of the Australian Sevens Rugby squad.
Jacob has a keen sense of contributing to the community. While at Sydney University he worked with Glebe Youth Services to support local youth, he is a volunteer member of the Australia China Youth Dialogue and has cofounded the Engaging China project, a youth-driven, not-for-profit project aiming to ignite interest in China among high school students.
Jacob is interested in the potential of sport, such as his own sport of rugby union, to act as a space for meaningful intercultural exchange between China and Australia. Since 2006, Jacob has developed strong ties with the Chinese rugby community, spending extended periods of time training and playing with various teams, most notably the Chinese National team. Jacob co-authored the Australia-China Youth Dialogue’s submission to the recently released white paper on “Australia in the Asian Century”. He will take up his scholarship at University of Oxford next year to study for a Master’s in neuroanthropology in the Centre for Anthropology and Mind.
In commenting on the award, Jacob’s mother Julia said: “It is a great honour for Jacob and well deserved. He was fortunate to be born with a range of natural talents but talent does not take you very far unless you are prepared to believe in yourself and apply yourself.
“The influence of Jacob’s early years growing up in Harden-Murrumburrah should not be underestimated. These years were very formative. Jacob’s friends, teachers and sports coaches have all contributed to his success and his outlook on life - many thanks.”