Youth activist, Yasmin Poole awarded 2021 Rhodes Scholarship

Youth activist Yasmin Poole awarded 2021 Rhodes Scholarship

Yasmin Poole

23-year-old youth activist Yasmin Poole has achieved much in her short career, and can now add another string to her bow with the announcement that she’s been named one of Australia’s nine Rhodes’ Scholarship recipients for 2021.

Sharing the exciting news via her Instagram last night, Poole explained why the lucrative scholarship meant so much, saying her “journey to university wasn’t easy”.

“I didn’t have the money to afford the university I dreamt of and was rejected for scholarships at every turn”, she wrote.

However, Poole added that a mix of hard work and fortune (which she humbly noted is not afforded to so many talented young people) helped her get ahead, with the support of her family and caring, active mentors.

“I won’t follow this with a statement about the power of hard work. Hard work is important. But I also had luck. Luck to live with my family for a couple of years to save money. Luck that my dreams were supported, not laughed at. Luck because I found mentors that cared,” she said. The scholarship will enable Poole to travel to and study at the UK’s prestigious Oxford University, where she plans on studying intersectional public policy.

“I want to learn about how systems can meaningfully support the diversity of women, such as race, class and sexuality, instead of pushing these realities to the side,” she said.

Over the past few years, Poole has come to be recognised as one of Australia’s most dynamic voices and advocates for social issues including gender equality and youth participation.

She is passionate that young people have a place in Australia’s political conversations and is currently Plan International’s National Ambassador and advocate for girls’ rights to be recognised around the world. She is also a Non-Executive Board Director of OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue charity and YWCA, a national feminist organisation that has supported women and girls for 140 years.

Rhodes Scholarships are available for outstanding Australians to study at the University of Oxford. Of the nine scholarships available each year in Australia, each state offers one Scholarship that is awarded by a selection committee of seven members based in the state.

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