Virginie Simoneau-Gilbert (Québec & Pembroke 2020) is currently studying a DPhil in Philosophy at the University of Oxford and benefits from the financial support of the Rhodes Trust.

Q: Where’s your favourite place in Oxford?
A: My favourite place in Oxford is where animals are, so typically at Port Meadow, Christchurch Meadows, University Parks, and the Thames River, where we can admire ducks, geese, swans, cows, and horses. When I arrived in Oxford, I immediately fell in love with the natural beauty the city has to offer and especially with the animals. They bring me joy, serenity, and a unique way of being in the world akin to a kind of mindfulness, a form of appreciation of the present moment. Being able to admire free and happy animals also reminds me why I chose to study animal ethics for my DPhil: to build a better world for all sentient beings, human and nonhuman. I feel blessed to be surrounded by so much beauty.

Q: What does winning the Rhodes Scholarship mean to you?
A: Winning the Rhodes Scholarship means many things to me. Firstly, when I learned that I had won the Rhodes Scholarship, I saw it as an incredible mark of confidence in my values and involvement. More specifically, I saw it as an encouragement to continue my research and commitment to animal ethics, which is still a young field of study and sometimes ridiculed in the public sphere. This scholarship confirmed that I was not the only one to see human-animal relations as a serious and crucial issue for the future.

Secondly, coming from a working-class family, I could have never studied at the University of Oxford without such a generous scholarship. The Rhodes Trust has fulfilled my wildest dreams, and I see this support as an immense privilege that comes with the extraordinary opportunity to study at the University of Oxford. At the same time, it also entails a greater social and political responsibility. I believe that the education I am getting here and all the inspiring people I am meeting are pushing me to be more involved. I feel that I must use the opportunities the Rhodes Trust has offered me and the knowledge I am gaining at Oxford to build a better world for everyone.