Rhys Runnels

Stamps 1693 Scholar

Hometown

Fargo, ND (Oak Grove Lutheran High School)

Academic Interests

International Relations, Biochemistry, Pre-Med

Why W&M 

As college decisions loomed, I was doing everything I could to feel in control. I made spreadsheets. I color-coded tabs. I compared programs like I was assembling a case file. But no matter how much information I collected, the actual decision, choosing just one school, only got harder. I started asking for advice, hoping someone would say something that made it obvious. Instead, I got increasingly contradictory suggestions and felt more overwhelmed than before.

I figured the William & Mary finalist weekend might help clear things up. It did, but not in the way I expected. My first flight was canceled. I landed two hours late and rushed out of Richmond Airport into a steady rain. At that point, I was fully convinced this was a sign that William & Mary just wasn’t meant to be.

But as I pulled my suitcase across the Murray House driveway, a 1693 Scholar ran toward me with an umbrella and a grin like I wasn’t late at all. That sincere, small act immediately shifted something. And the rest of the weekend kept proving me wrong.

The students I met weren’t just intelligent. They were thoughtful, funny, and curious in a way that didn’t feel performative. I had conversations that veered from research interests to favorite campus trees to whether waffles are better with or without ice cream. For the first time during this whole process, I didn’t feel like I was evaluating a school, I just felt like I was part of it.

That’s why I chose William & Mary and the 1693 Scholars Program. Not just because it has strong academics and research support but because the people I met made the whole place feel human. And that, more than anything, was what I was looking for.

High School Activities 

• Intern at Max Planck Institute of Biogeochemistry
• Mock Trial Team
• Student Council 
• Acalympics Team
• Varsity Golf Captain
• Varsity Tennis Captain
• Varsity Swimming Captain
• Certified Lifeguard
• Club Alpine/Nordic Skiing
• Oak Grove Concert Choir
• Boy Scouts
• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Program

Awards / Distinctions

• Oak Grove Valedictorian
• Oak Grove Shared Value Relationship Award
• Most Outstanding Attorney at North Dakota State Mock Trial Competition
• Academic All-State Gold Medal
• Eagle Scout
• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship
• AP Scholar with Distinction
• Excellence in German, English, and Human Geography
• Outstanding Volunteer Service Award from Utah Rotary Club
• State Bar Association of North Dakota Constitution Award
• Oak Grove Senior Honor Student