Meet CU's first Rhodes Scholar in a quarter century. She's got her sights set on a U.S. Supreme Court seat鈥� and a Miss America title.
Serene Singh had been a Rhodes Scholar for less than 48 hours last November when she boarded a flight for Southern California. She had a contest to get to, National American Miss, the nation鈥檚 biggest youth beauty pageant.
Rhodes Scholars are rare enough 鈥� Singh, a CU 麻豆影院 senior, is one of 32 from the U.S. in the latest crop and CU鈥檚 first winner in 25 years. Rhodes Scholars also aiming to be Miss America were perhaps unheard of until now.
But Singh (Jour, PolSci鈥�19), a bhangra-dancing, snowboarding Boettcher Scholar from Colorado Springs with a 3.98 GPA, isn鈥檛 shy about the diversity of her ambitions, or much else, for that matter.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no class in confidence,鈥� she recently told a Denver audience of about 750 CU alumni and friends while dressed in a bright yellow jumpsuit 鈥� you have it, or you build it.
The former Miss Colorado Teen and America鈥檚 Junior Miss said pageant competition has helped her cultivate presence, poise and a sense of her 鈥渙wn unique beauty.鈥�
To pageant skeptics (she once was one), Singh says she skips bathing suit contests. But she doesn鈥檛 scoff at contestants who find confidence through them: 鈥淚 say to those women, I think they should do it shamelessly. I applaud them for being bold.鈥�
At 22, Singh has done a lot.
A champion debater, member of CU鈥檚 Presidents Leadership Class and chief justice of CU鈥檚 student government, she鈥檚 also a classic activator: She founded CU鈥檚 Sikh Student Association, the National Sikh Youth Program and the Serenity Project, a nonprofit group devoted to empowering marginalized women.
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There鈥檚 no class in confidence,听said Singh听鈥� you have it, or you build it.
Last spring, mere months before she became CU鈥檚 first woman Rhodes Scholar, she won a Truman Scholarship, which provides $30,000 awards for young people invested in public service and access to an alumni network rivaling the Rhodes鈥�.
Last summer, after spending part of it as an Obama Foundation intern in Washington, she returned to campus and resumed the presidency of both CU鈥檚 Sikh Student Association and the political science honors society 鈥� all while leading the Colorado Bhangra Team, a competitive Punjabi dance squad. CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 team, part of the statewide team, numbers about 30, she said, mostly non-Indians.
Singh, who grew up in a Sikh family, was also preparing to undertake an honors thesis about public perception of Sikhs in the U.S., tackling two majors and stopping nearly every dog she saw for a pet and a selfie.
鈥淚鈥檝e got about 400 now,鈥� she said, presumably including her own chihuahua, Betta (鈥渃hild,鈥� in Hindi).
After commencement in May, the Rhodes Scholarship will take her to England for all-expenses-paid graduate study at the University of Oxford. There she鈥檒l follow in the footsteps of many prominent Americans, including Rhodes alumni Bill Clinton, Rachel Maddow and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White (贰肠辞苍鈥�38).
In all, 20 CU 麻豆影院 alumni have won the Rhodes since it was established in 1902. Before Singh, the last CU Buff Rhodes Scholar was Jim Hansen (Engr鈥�92; MAeroEngr鈥�93), in 1993. The former CU football captain later earned an Oxford Ph.D. Today he is superintendent of the Naval Research Laboratory鈥檚 Marine Meteorology Division.
Worldwide, there were 100 new Rhodes Scholars in 2018. Of the U.S. contingent, 21 were women, the most ever. Besides Singh, CU 麻豆影院鈥檚 Nikki van den Heever (CivEngr鈥�17; MEngr鈥�19) made the final round.
At Oxford, Singh plans to study public policy, criminology and criminal justice, preparation for law school in the United States. Her long-term ambition, she said, is a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
鈥淧eople often hold themselves back through their own fear or self-doubt,鈥� said Ross Taylor of CU鈥檚 College of Media, Communications and Information, who has taught Singh in several courses. 鈥淪erene may have doubt, but she overcomes it and is fearless.鈥�
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鈥淭here鈥檚 no dull at all in bhangra,鈥� Singh听said, noting it means 鈥榠ntoxicated with joy.鈥� 鈥淚 think life should be lived like that, too.鈥�
Before Singh leaves for the U.K., she鈥檚 got half a semester to enjoy at CU still, plus a running list of off-campus projects and adventures in mind.
She鈥檒l wrap up the thesis, finalize plans for life overseas and convene with her Truman Scholar class in Washington. She wants to skydive, visit Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, see the world鈥檚 biggest collection of keys, stage a fashion show for the Serenity Project and leave the National Sikh Youth Program in trusted hands.
If it seems like Singh rarely rests, you鈥檙e onto something.
鈥淚 could do a much better job,鈥� she said.
So, she dances whenever she gets a chance, even if it鈥檚 just a few steps on the way to class 鈥� ballet, hip-hop, bhangra.
It energizes her.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no dull at all in bhangra,鈥� she said, noting it means 鈥榠ntoxicated with joy.鈥� 鈥淚 think life should be lived like that, too.鈥�
In our print edition, this story appears under the title "Oxford Bound."
Comment on this story? Email听editor@colorado.edu.
Photos by Glenn Asakawa (Journ'86).听To view more outtakes of our cover, click here.
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