'Terrorists' son to be Rhodes Scholar
THE SON OF two American 'urban terrorists' serving life sentences has been awarded a prestigious Rhodes scholarship. Chesa Boudin, a 22 year-old student at Yale currently majoring in history, plans to study international development during his time in Oxford.
Boudin was separated from his parents, both activists in the left wing urban guerrilla movement 'Weather Underground' aged 14 months when, leaving him with a baby-sitter, they were involved in a £1.1 million armed robbery in 1981 that left a guard and two policemen dead. Since then he has been raised by two other former activists, now both academics.
Boudin has overcome other challenges: as a young boy he suffered from epilepsy and dyslexia and did not begin to read until the age of nine. He now is active in criminal justice reform, an advocate for children with imprisoned parents and a member of the Yale Coalition for Peace. "He has a combination of very high academic achievement and a very strong character and commitment to helping others", commented Rhodes Trust secretary Elliot Gerson.
The Rhodes Scholarship Trust was established in the will of colonialist Cecil Rhodes in 1902. It enables students from around the Commonwealth, U.S., and Germany to study in Oxford for two to three years and is worth around £20,000 a year. Former beneficiaries of this top academic accolade include Bill Clinton and former Nato commander General Wesley Clark.
9th Jan 2003