Gloria Charité, Student in Psychology

Which program/department are you in?

Psychology.

What is your primary area of research?

Cognitive psychology, specifically memory research.

Which country (or countries) do you come from?

Rwanda.

You have been recently named a Rhodes Scholar, what inspired you to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship?

As I was trolling through the Rhodes Trust website, a section entitled “Standing Up for the World” caught my attention. Underlying that statement was a clear and compassionate call to fight for those who have not been as privileged as I am. What I found even more fascinating was the various ways different scholars had chosen to approach the fight. Some were involved in projects tackling pressing issues like food insecurity, others  access to quality education, human rights violations, climate change, cyber security, etc.  That I could be part of such an interdisciplinary community of individuals who are not only as impatient as I am about the current state of the world, but are also actively engaged in propelling the world in a better direction was an irresistible opportunity.  I am very honored to have won the Rhodes Scholarship, and I am very excited for the opportunities it will afford me to leave the world a better place!

So, why cognitive psychology?

Besides my name, one of my other strong identifiers is my fascination with the brain. My friends and I sometimes joke that I am a "brain addict" (hahaha). I am a psychology major and will be pursuing a doctorate degree in cognitive psychology at Oxford. I feel really lucky to be studying one of the most fascinating things in the universe–the brain. That three pounds of neurons and glia in our head can give rise to complex processes like memory, language, emotions to mention but a few, is very mind-blowing to me.

What do you like best about living in NYC? 

One of my favorite NYC and Columbia moments really is hearing people speaking so many different languages within every mile I walk, some of which I don’t even recognize. This to me is a constant reminder that the beauty of the human race lies, to a large extent, in our diversity. That we are able to thrive together in this big city in spite of our diverse backgrounds is an indisputable testament that the future is multilingual, multiracial, and in all sense inclusive. Of course, it is upon us to continue to put in the efforts to make that a possibility otherwise the future will easily resemble the past or look uglier.

Tell us about your background and interests. 

In my free time, I love reading, hanging out with friends, volunteering, cooking, playing volleyball,  and sometimes writing poetry! To learn more about my background and interests, check out this blog and Spectator article!

Connect with Gloria on LinkedIn.

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