November 12, 2007
Texas A&M junior rider Christina Matz (McKinney) has been nominated by the university for the prestigious Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships this fall.
Matz, who is a senior academically despite being in only her third year of school, is on course to graduate magna cum laude with a degree in chemistry and a minor in business administration. She has also spent time as a research assistant at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Service in Dallas as well as having already studied international business and culture at Oxford.
Only 900 students nationwide are nominated for the Rhodes Scholarship and Matz is one of only two in that capacity at Texas A&M. At the end of the process, only 32 students nationwide are selected for the oldest international academic fellowship in existence. Approximately 1,000 apply for the Marshall Scholarship with 40 being selected.
The Rhodes Scholarship was created in 1902 after the death of Cecil Rhodes to bring the best and brightest students from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. The Marshall Scholarship began in 1953 as a goodwill gesture from Great Britain after U.S. assistance in rebuilding Europe in the aftermath of World War II.
Matz is not only an incredibly successful student but an involved and successful student-athlete as well. She began the 2006-07 equestrian season on an eight-match winning streak and ended the year with a seasonal record of 10-5 in equitation on the flat which ranked No. 2 on the A&M hunter seat team. She also earned two wins at the 2007 Varsity Equestrian National Championships as well.
Matz serves as the equestrian team?â„¢s representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has been a volunteer with Aggie Athletes Involved, Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow, and Helping One Student to Succeed (HOSTS).