On Dec. 1, Cheryl Lim ’05 received a phone call informing her that she had been selected as the only Malaysian Rhodes Scholar for 2005.

“I hadn’t been expecting much,” Lim said. “When they called, it was an incredible, really wonderful surprise.”

Lim, a double major in psychology and sociology, is still applying to the different programs at Oxford but would like to earn her masters in comparative social policy. She plans to use the degree to return to Malaysia and work in public policy, specifically in non-profit, women’s and children’s issues, she said.

After Lim had traveled all the way home to Malaysia to be interviewed for the Rhodes Scholarship, her first reaction was that the meeting did not go very well.

“I was recovering from the flu at that time so my throat was all scratchy,” she said. “My voice kept cracking throughout the interview.”

Although the Rhodes Scholarship program sponsors 30 American students every year, the Malaysian Rhodes Scholarship selects only one candidate per year.

Rhodes Scholarships cover two to three years of graduate study at Oxford University in England. The coveted scholarship pays for all academic costs and provides an allowance for students’ living expenses.

Students must be nominated by their college or university and are selected based on academic performance, extra-curricular activities and a personal statement, which details what each student plans to study at Oxford and how it would aid personal career aspirations.

In addition to such criteria, the Malaysian scholarship in particular looks for students interested in social issues who plan to return to Malaysia after completing their study at Oxford. Director of International Studies Carolyn Sorkin is the Wesleyan representative for the Rhodes.

“At Wesleyan, the International Scholarships Committee is most likely to support candidates with a strong research proposal, stellar academics, substantial extracurricular activities [which can include work, volunteering, clubs, sports, etc.], and a clear sense of direction,” she said.

Sorkin met often with Lim during the nomination and application process and had nothing but praise for her.

“Cheryl seemed to be a very strong candidate right from the start,” she said. “In addition to being well-organized and having researched both the Rhodes Scholarships and Oxford University, she had a clear idea of what she wants to do long-term, and of how a year of graduate study at Oxford would help to prepare her for that role.”

She added that in Lim’s mock interview, set up by Sorkin to prepare her for the real one, Lim appeared “poised and knowledgeable, and made a convincing argument for the relevance of her project to the advancement of Malaysian society.”

Lim is not the first international student from Wesleyan to become a Rhodes Scholar. The last winner from Wesleyan was Jamaican Rhodes Scholar Kim Marie Spence ’00.

Lim said her experience at Wesleyan, especially as an international student, has helped prepare her for this prestigious award.

“The education [at Wesleyan] has given me the background I need for a master’s degree,” she said.

She added that being an international student has given her useful exposure to a foreign country and will no doubt aid her transition to living in yet another nation.

Sorkin had a message to future potential Wesleyan Rhodes Scholars.

“Juniors should start thinking now about this opportunity,” she said. “They should see me to talk about eligibility and next steps.”

As for Cheryl Lim, the next step will take her across the Atlantic.