USask student leader named Rhodes Scholar, joins global changemakers
Emma Wintermute, president of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) and an outspoken advocate for social change, has been awarded one of the world’s most prestigious academic honours: the Rhodes Scholarship.
Wintermute is among only 11 Canadians selected as 2026 Rhodes Scholars. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts, double honours in gender, sexuality, and social justice studies, and history at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
“For me, the Rhodes Scholarship is as complex and nuanced as it is exciting and full of possibility. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow as a scholar, activist, and human,” said Wintermute.
Her academic work explores gender, sexualities, social justice, and social histories through the lens of human rights and social mobilization. She plans to continue examining how social movements and human rights discourse intersect to drive advocacy and systemic change.
Acknowledging the scholarship’s colonial roots, Wintermute said the opportunity to study at Oxford and join a global community of scholars motivates her to challenge oppressive systems and harness education as a tool for social justice.
“Emma’s academic excellence and her dedication to leadership and community reflect her commitment to creating meaningful global impact. We look forward to the positive change Emma will continue to inspire as a Rhodes Scholar," said Peter Stoicheff, USask president and vice-chancellor. “Emma’s achievement marks six Rhodes scholars selected from USask in the past four years, a remarkable record that demonstrates how USask prepares students to think critically and tackle complex challenges. This success reflects the strength of our academic community and the opportunities we strive to create for our students.”
The Rhodes Trust awards 11 scholarships annually to Canadian universities, including three for students from the Prairie provinces—Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Based at the University of Oxford, the Rhodes Trust is an educational charity that fosters global leadership and impact.