A Hopkins student has been selected to serve as an American ambassador to Eton College.
As part of an Annenberg Fellowship awarded on April 15, senior Tripp Weber will teach, coach and mentor students at the boys school next year. Weber is the first student from Hopkins to ever receive the fellowship.
"I was thrilled when I received this fellowship because over the course of the application period, I constantly thought about how amazing the experience would be," Weber said. "I wholeheartedly enjoy mentoring, coaching and teaching those younger than me, and I have spent much of my senior year engaging in these activities."
The process began in January when Weber was contacted by Associate Athletic Director Mike Renwick.
Renwick explained that the department had deemed him a strong candidate for the position and Weber pursued the opportunity.
Although Weber had already accepted a job offer for after graduation, he recognized the incredible opportunities at hand.
"The chance to serve as a representative for my country and my alma mater will be remarkable," he said.
Only students from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT have won the fellowship in the past.
"I was well aware of the talented applicants in the field who would be applying for the same position as me and didn't think I would have much of a shot. Over the following months, I read about Eton on a daily basis out of pure curiosity, and the school fascinated me," Weber said.
Eton, founded in 1440, has an endless number of distinguished alumni, including 18 former British Prime Ministers. It is often described as the most famous public school in the world.
"It is a tremendous honor to be the first student from Hopkins to be named to this position, especially considering the caliber of previous institutions that produced students who earned this distinction," Weber added.
Professor Lawrence Aronhime, the professor of the Introduction to Business class for which Weber is currently a TA, was very excited to hear the news.
"What a wonderful thing, both for Tripp and for Hopkins," Aronhime said. "Tripp is a great choice because he represents all that is best in young people: smart, studious, athletic, involved."
After Weber researched the fellowship, he contacted the admissions office, which was the Hopkins point of contact with Eton College for the selection process of the Annenberg Fellowship.
John Latting, the Hopkins dean of admissions, was the Annenberg Fellow at Eton between 1989 and 1990 and has remained in contact with the school since then.
The group of admissions directors screened the applicant pool based on the written materials they had provided and invited the selected applicants for interviews.
From this group, the list of finalists was provided to Eton College representatives, who in turn made the final selection.
"We were extremely happy with the six names we provided to them, and we did get feedback that they were pleased with all six," Latting said.
"Having said that, I suspect that Tripp was selected because his interests apply so well to the boarding school environment, and because he has unusual commitment to the idea of teaching and mentoring others. He's also an enthusiastic and positive person, and I have no doubt that he'll have an impact on Eton College life."
Weber will graduate with honors in May having majored in International Studies and minored in entrepreneurship and management. He has also made Dean's List three out of the last four semesters.
Weber is currently the captain of the nationally-ranked men's tennis team and an active brother and past executive officer of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Chuck Willenborg, the men's tennis team's head coach, believes Weber received the fellowship based not only on his accomplishments, but his strong character traits.
"Tripp is someone who I have been able to count on. I have delegated many responsibilities to him over the years," Willenborg said.
"As a player, Tripp has an unblemished record in conference play over his four-year career, something no other Hopkins graduate can say. He has improved every year and I couldn't ask him to do more than he already does."
Pam Sheff, a professor and close mentor of Weber, is also excited for the opportunities awaiting him.
"Tripp is the kind of student every teacher wants in class: bright, thoughtful, energetic and curious," she said.
"Over the years I've known Tripp, he has matured into a true leader, confident in his intellectual abilities and adventurous in his outlook. Hopkins won't be the same without him."
Many of Tripp's friends and professors believe he is the perfect candidate for the fellowship. David Maldow, one of Tripp's best friends and tennis co-captain, believes Tripp will only continue his success at Eton.
"I'm confident Tripp will have a successful year at Eton," Maldow said.
"He has never backed down to a challenge, and he will handle the incredible responsibility very well. I am happy for him, Hopkins and the students of Eton."
