Two 2020 UNC Alumni Named Rhodes Scholars

Peter Andringa and Sarah Mackenzie — who both graduated from UNC in 2020 — have been named Rhodes Scholars, bringing the total number of Rhodes Scholars from the university to 51.

“A Tar Heel being named a Rhodes Scholar is always a reason to celebrate, and this year we have the special opportunity to recognize two outstanding students earning this honor,” said Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz in a release.

Andringa graduated from UNC in 2020 with degrees in journalism and computer science, while Mackenzie graduated with degrees in public policy and global studies and a minor in Arabic.

Congratulations to #UNC alumni @peterjandringa and @sarahmackenzi_, who have become Carolina's 50th and 51st Rhodes Scholars. See what these two Tar Heels are planning to study at the University of Oxford in Englandhttps://t.co/3DU2B77gm2

— The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (@UNC) November 23, 2020

“This is a significant milestone in our great university’s 227-year history,” said Guskiewicz. “The prolonged success of our students in prestigious international programs like the Rhodes Scholarship is an example not just of all the outstanding students who attend Carolina, but also the world-class faculty and staff who mentor, support and encourage our students.”

During his time with UNC, Andringa landed internships with The Wall Street Journal, NBC and The Guardian. After graduation, he was hired by The Washington Post to work as a data visualization engineer on elections coverage and projects that integrate technology into the Post’s reporting.

As a Rhodes Scholar, Andringa will pursue a master’s in social science of the internet through the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute.

“I’m really interested in understanding the mechanics of trust online — how people trust the news, how people build relationships with news brands and journalists online, and how digital products affect how people trust it or how it’s shared,” Andringa said.

Mackenzie — who is also a Morehead-Cain Scholar — had internships in South Africa, New York City and Washington D.C. in her pursuit of a career in public policy. In Chapel Hill, she volunteered with the Community Empowerment Fund, a nonprofit working to end the racial wealth gap by helping community members transition out of homelessness and poverty.

“I felt personally invested in and put faces to the problems that I was reading about or studying. Too often in public policy, there’s a lack of awareness and concern for those most affected,” Mackenzie said. “Having the conversations and the work experience with people who were affected by the policies that I was interested in and studying felt important and very formative.”

After graduation, Mackenzie has worked as a Thomas W. Ross North Carolina Leadership Fellow in Carolina’s public policy department and as a client advocate for the Center for Appellate Litigation in New York City.

Visit UNC’s website to read more about these recent Rhodes Scholar nominations.

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Two 2020 UNC Alumni Named Rhodes Scholars

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