SOUND THE TRUMPET!
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA RHODES
SCHOLAR IS OFF TO OXFORD

"Nothing like this has ever happened to me"

The University of Manitoba continues its excellent record for its
students
winning Rhodes Scholarships with the awarding of a 2008 Rhodes
Scholarship to Akosua Matthews, who graduated from the University
of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in 2006.

Ms Mathews, who also won the Gold Medal in Philosophy in 2006, is
currently a full-time policy analyst for the Province of Manitoba.
Born in Edmonton, she moved to Winnipeg at an early age, attending
Bairdmore, Dalhousie and Acadia schools, all in Fort Richmond.
Matthews is also a graduate of nearby Fort Richmond Collegiate. Her
mother is from Ghana, and her father, a three-time graduate of the
University of Manitoba, currently works for water stewardship with
the Province of Manitoba. She also has a brother currently enroled in
University 1 at the University of Manitoba.

"In school, Akosua was a leader in so many ways," says Kathleen
Crang, science teacher at Fort Richmond Collegiate. "She was active
in the Charity Club, Amnesty International and other groups."

"It´s been a whirlwind twenty-four hours," says Matthews. "The
stakes were very high, and I was blown away by the calibre of the
other candidates."

"What´s the right adjective to use?" her father muses. "We are
extremely pleased and excited for Akosua. She´s worked very hard
for this. After she got the call Saturday night, we phoned relatives
here in Canada to tell them the news and then woke up our relatives
in Ghana."

In addition to her outstanding academic credentials, Matthews is an
army reservist, where she is a corporal and plays bugle and trumpet in
the company band. "I was very busy performing at Remembrance Day
services this year," Matthews notes.

Matthews says she enjoyed her time in the philosophy department,
enhancing her ability to learn and share knowledge.

"My department was very small and hands-on," she says. "I got to
know my professors on a one-to-one basis. Many people think that
University of Manitoba is a really big school, but for me, my
experience was that once I got into a specific discipline, it became
quite small."

"People really got to know you," she adds.

Matthews is the 87th Rhodes Scholar to hail from the University of
Manitoba, which has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other
university in Western Canada.

Matthews plans to eventually study law. Her Rhodes Scholarship is
tenable for studies at Oxford in England for two or three years
commencing in the fall of 2008, covering all tuition fees plus an
annual stipend.

For more information, contact Ms Akosua Matthews at: 204-880-
1514 (cell), or John Danakas, public affairs, at: 204-474-8551 or
204-228-9527 (cell).