Engineering student named finalist for Rhodes

For a second straight year, a McMaster student has been named a finalist for one of the world’s most prestigious scholarships.

Giuseppe Del Gobbo found out Sunday that he wouldn’t be making the trip to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, but as one of just a handful of Ontario candidates to make it to the final round of selections, President Patrick Deane says he should be proud.

“It’s a terrific accomplishment to make it this far in the Rhodes process,” says Deane. “Giuseppe has a very bright future ahead of him. He should be very proud of all that he has done.”

Del Gobbo has established himself as an outstanding student and volunteer. He has been given the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, the Provost’s Honour Roll Medal (three times), the F.W. Paulin Scholarship, the Stanley Robertson Scholarship and the Rotary Club of Hamilton Scholarship. He also serves as vice-president academic of the McMaster Engineering Society.

Deane and other University officials helped coach the engineering and management student though the rigorous application process. They also put him in touch with several past Rhodes Scholars, a resource Del Gobbo says was invaluable.

“It was really interesting to hear their take on the selection process, but also the effect the Rhodes Scholarship had on them, their careers and their lives.”

Among those Del Gobbo spoke to was Sheiry Dhillon, the McMaster health sciences student and 2012 Rhodes Scholar who has recently taken up residence at Oxford.

Below, Del Gobbo talks about why he chose to study engineering and talks about the importance of being a well-rounded person.