CINCINNATI (AP) — When Ohio’s two new Rhodes scholarsheard their names called during a live
announcement of winners, theylooked at each other in disbelief. One of them thought she washallucinating,
the other had to ask: "They called my name, right?"CourtneyWittekind, of Mason in southwestern
Ohio, and Adam Mastroianni, ofMonroeville in northern Ohio, are among 32 college students nationwideto win
the prestigious scholarships, announced Sunday, and will enterEngland’s Oxford University next
October."We actually had thesame reaction, which was, ‘Is this actually happening?’" Wittekind
saidin an interview from her family’s home in Mason.She, Mastroianniand a handful of other hopefuls learned
Saturday whether they’d won orlost after final interviews were held in Indianapolis — a process
thatWittekind described as slightly awkward for those who didn’t win andsurreal for the ones who
did."The first thing that went through my head was, ‘Did I make that up?’ Maybe I’m hallucinating or
dreaming,’" she said.Mastroianni said he had to double-check that he had just heard his
name."Theyhad us sweating in this conference room, all 12 participants togetherfor two and a half
hours," he said. "Then the committee walks throughthe door … and the chair said my name and
Courtney’s name, and the aircame out of the room."Wittekind, 23, graduated last year with
ananthropology degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Shehas been working full-time as an
intern at the Brookings Institution inWashington on a project involving natural disasters, conflict and
theconflict-induced displacement of people.Wittekind wants to studyanthropology at Oxford, focusing on
conflict resolution, politicaltransition and how that plays into displacement in Myanmar.Wittekindsaid she
was inspired to get into the field after living in Thailand in2009 with a Burmese refugee family who helped
incoming refugeesnavigate their new lives. She said her goal is to give a voice to thoserefugees."There
are a lot of people in these communities who aredispossessed or poverty-stricken, but people in these
communities havetheir own solutions and their own ideas about how their suffering can bebest relieved, and I
think quite often their voices don’t get heard,"she said.Wittekind graduated from Mason High School.
Her motheris a school nurse and her father owns his own business selling largecutting tools.Mastroianni, 22,
is a senior studying socialpsychology at Princeton University in New Jersey and said he wants touse his time
at Oxford to study evidence-base social intervention,analyzing whether certain well-intended efforts
actually have a positivechange.In particular, Mastroianni wants to increase high schoolstudents’ college
preparation — a goal he said was inspired in part bythe limited opportunities in his small
hometown.Mastroiannigraduated from Monroeville High School. His mother is a schoolsuperintendent, and his
father is a rural mail carrier."I sleptworse last night than I did the night before my interview
because nowI’ve got to figure out all these logistics," he said with a laugh. "It’sall the little
details. Where do I get my sheets?"Mastroianni and Wittekind were selected from 857 applicants endorsed
by 327 colleges and universities.Rhodesscholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study
atOxford. The value of the scholarships averages about $50,000 a year.___Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter
at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAPCopyright 2013
The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
orredistributed.