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NEW NAME, CONTINUED SUCCESS FOR THE OFFICE OF National Scholars
BY THE MOSAIC EDITORIAL BOARD AND DR. SAYANDEB BASU, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL SCHOLARS
EACH YEAR, THE OFFICE of National Scholars (ONS) mentors and advises hundreds of high-achieving USF students through the competitive national scholarship application process. This past year, the office underwent a name change (previously Office of National Scholarships) to better reflect its purpose-driven mission. Our Mosaic editorial team caught up with ONS Director, Dr. Sayandeb Basu, to reflect on the name change — and a decade of student-focused success.
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How has the Office of National Scholars impacted USF and the Honors College over the past 10 years?
Over the past 10 years, thousands of students have met with ONS and hundreds have become national scholarship recipients. The number of students receiving the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship [focused on research], Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship (focused on study abroad), and the Fulbright U.S. Student Program [focused on international education] has risen steadily over our tenure. Last year, 98 USF students received national scholarships and fellowships. Just the past two years have brought a record number of finalists for the office — students who have become finalists for the Marshall Scholarship and the Rhodes Scholarship, two of the most prestigious and well-known national scholarships in the world.
Then why the name change and why now?
The word scholarships has misrepresented the purpose of the office since its inception in 2011. Students and faculty have mistaken our purpose for a longtime because of our previous name and its innate ties to funding. ONS provides high touch-mentoring to help students bring their passions to fruition through practical steps. We focus on scholar development. This, and not merely helping students to secure funding, is our purpose.
So, your work hasn’t changed?
The day-to-day work at ONS will always be the same. Our work involves mentorship, coaching, and the ability to connect and nurture students through the national scholarship application journey at USF and beyond. We strive to support students while they envision their future goals, engage with opportunities, and excel as they move forward in their lives. We maintain a schedule of workshops, working group meetings, and internal deadlines for all applications. Even though funding is a part of national scholarships and fellowships, students are transformed by meetings with the office, where advisors speak with them about their passions and how to transform those passions into short-term and long-term goals. ONS takes pride in mentoring students to create the most impactful and competitive applications for nationally prestigious awards.
Are there any recent student success stories that stand out?
We have many amazing alumni stories to share. Students like Shahriar Zamani, who will complete his Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the University of Cambridge in June 2023 and will begin a post-doc at the National Cancer Institutes shortly thereafter. Hiram Rios Hernandez, who just completed a post in Myanmar, as a Public Diplomacy Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State. Mabel Proenza, who recently returned to the U.S. from Spain, where she taught English for a year with the Fulbright Student Program U.S. ONS is excited to see what is next for our students!
