Boston College Athletics
Fencing Co-Captain Earns Rhodes Scholarship
December 01, 2003 | Fencing
Dec. 1, 2003
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Boston College fencer Paul A. Taylor (Elm Grove, WI) was one of two Boston College students who earned a Rhodes Scholarship, in an announcement made Saturday, Nov. 22. Taylor and Brett T. Huneycutt are the first Eagles to win the prestigious world award.
Taylor was the New England collegiate foil champion his sophomore year. The three-time NCAA regional participant also qualified for the NCAA Championships in both his freshman and junior campaigns. Most recently, in the 2003 NCAA Championships (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Taylor earned 24th place in the men's foil division, helping his team to 19th overall in the team competition. The 2003-04 fencing season marks the second time that Taylor has been elected team co-captain (2002-03).
Academically, the senior physics and classics double major earned both science and Latin awards, culminating into a Goldwater Scholar award. He also holds a patent, tutors students in both physics and calculus and was named volunteer of the year in a soup kitchen. Taylor will join 31 other Rhodes scholars at Oxford University next October for two to three years of study, complete with full scholarships and living allowances, to study theoretical astrophysics. The Rhodes Scholarships were established in 1902 by the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes, who hoped recipients would make positive contributions to the world. Approximately 95 scholars are chosen worldwide each year. This year, there were 963 applicants endorsed by 366 colleges and universities. They were judged on the basis of high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential, and physical vigor, among other attributes.
