Scholarship Navigators:
Guiding Every Student to Success
2024 Rhodes Scholar
2024 Stevens Initiative Fellow
2025 Chevening Scholar
Scholarship Navigators is a mentorship and resource program providing personalized, end-to-end support for University of Oregon students and recent alumni who are applying for distinguished scholarships and fellowships. The program addresses a systemic but often overlooked challenge: the dearth of personalized, holistic support for students navigating competitive national and international scholarship applications. Through one-on-one mentorship, tailored resources, and community-building workshops Scholarship Navigators supports students in all disciplines with a particular focus on those in arts and humanities. UO Alum and 2024 Rhodes Scholar Nayantara Arora (University of Oxford) and fellow international scholars, Danial DlShad (University of Kurdistan Hewler) and Maryam Al-Ojel (University of Bristol), lead this grant-funded program through an award from the Stevens Initiative Alumni Fellowship program with the U.S. Department of State. In collaboration with Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships and the alumni network of UO distinguished scholars, they launched the program in February 2026 to begin realizing their mission of ensuring students enjoy access to tailored, continuous support from application to post-interview stages, reducing feelings of isolation and imposter syndrome.
Goal:
Help students articulate a compelling academic narrative through their CV/Resume and personal statement.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end, students will:
Understand what scholarship committees look for
Identify 2-3 core themes in their story
Learn how to align CV entries with personal narrative
Leave with a draft “story spine” framework
Goal:
Help students understand that the course/program fit matters more than the scholarship brand.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will:
Understand how to evaluate programs strategically
Learn how UK/US postgraduate structures differ
Identify 2–3 programs aligned with their goals
Understand timelines & components
Goal:
Demystify scholarship interviews and reduce imposter syndrome. This one should feel energizing and empowering.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will:
Understand common scholarship interview formats
Learn how to structure strong answers
Practice thinking aloud
Reframe imposter syndrome
Attend Drop-in Advising hours in person in GSH 104 or via teams. If the scheduled Drop-In times do not work with your schedule, email urds@uoregon.edu to schedule an appointment.