Unlike many of his peers, James Meyerle won't leave the world of academia when he graduates next month.
Meyerle, a fourth-year political and social thought major, recently became the first University student ever to receive the Saint Andrew's Scholarship from the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York.
Meyerle is one of only two award recipients nationally who gained this opportunity to study at a Scottish university.
The Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York is an organization dedicated to preserving Scottish heritage. Founded in 1756 to aid Scottish immigrants in the United States, the society then became one of the nation's most elite social clubs.
The scholarship aims to promote cultural exchange between the United States and Scotland, funding one year of study at any Scottish university. Meyerle said he will attend Saint Andrews University, which received recent media attention because England's Prince William also currently is a student.
Meyerle will study moral philosophy in the Scottish enlightenment and plans to earn his master's degree in literature while he is abroad.
"I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity," he said. "It's a chance to answer ethical issues which have concerned me since I started my time at the University."
Scottish philosophers have made a decisive impact on American thinking, he added.
"Scottish enlightenment thinkers such as David Hume and Adam Smith influenced the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson's tutor was Scottish. Five or six of the early U.S. presidents were Scottish," Meyerle said. "Scotland produces brilliant people. It's also one of the most beautiful places in the world."
Each American college or university may nominate one candidate on the basis of academic achievement, extracurricular activities, leadership qualities, financial need, proven Scottish descent and personal objectives.
The Society then selects six candidates to be flown to New York City for interviews, after which it selects two winners.
Meredith Osborne, a student at Harvard University, was the other award recipient.
"We were looking for graduate students of Scottish descent, academic achievement and financial need," said Adonica Liu, a spokeswoman for Harvard's Fellowship Office.
"Once we had a pool of applicants, we looked at what they proposed to do, and whether we could find ambassadorial qualities," Liu said.
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