Officer Cadet 29165 Layden Bergerman-Twan has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for Canada.
Each year there are a total of 11 scholarships that are awarded to students. Three scholarships available for the Prairie Region, two each for Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes and one each for British Columbia and Newfoundland.
The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full time, postgraduate award which enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. The Scholarship was established through the Estate of Cecil John Rhodes in 1902, making it one of the oldest scholarships in the world, allowing outstanding young people from around the world to undertake full-time post graduate study at the highly ranked University of Oxford.
The criteria for applicants includes:
- literary and scholastic attainments (academic excellence)
- energy to use one’s talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, particularly where teamwork is involved)
- truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship
- moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one’s fellow beings.
Officer Cadet Layden Bergerman-Twan was born and raised in Calgary Alberta. He is currently enrolled as an Infantry Officer completing his BA(Hons) in Military and Strategic Studies at RMC. Officer Cadet Bergerman-Twan is the Cadet Wing Commander and a member of the RMC Sandhurst team. Prior to joining RMC, Layden was a member of the Army Cadet program winning numerous awards for excellence. Layden has a passion for mentoring and instruction, outdoor sports, visual arts, and music.
As of 2011 there have been 13 Rhodes Scholars who were ex-cadets of RMC (information courtesy of Wikipedia):
- 2565 Adrian A.W. Duguid (RMC 1937) Rhodes Scholar 1946 Deceased 14 January 1968;
- 4393 Doctor Desmond Morton (CMR RMC 1959) Rhodes Scholar 1959;
- 5417 Colonel (ret) WK Megill (CMR RMC 1962) Rhodes Scholar 1962;
- 6219 Doctor Robin Boadway (RRMC / RMC 1964) Rhodes Scholar 1964;
- 6182 Doctor RB Harrison (RMC 1964) Rhodes Scholar 1964;
- 6508 MGen (ret) John L Adams CMM CD (RMC 1965) Rhodes Scholar 1965;
- 7291 Doctor T.A.J. Keefer (RMC 1967) Rhodes Scholar 1967;
- 10419 Captain (N) (ret) David V Jacobson (CMR RMC 1975) Rhodes Scholar 1975;
- 10941 Doctor Grant M Gibbs (RMC 1976) Rhodes Scholar 1976;
- 15040 Mr Paul E Stanborough (RMC 1985) Rhodes Scholar 1985; (https://everitas.rmcalumni.ca/extra-innings-17/)
- 15595 LCol (ret) WDE (Billy) Allan CD (RRMC RMC 1986) Rhodes Scholar 1987;
- 23988 Mr Gino Bruni (RMC 2008) Rhodes Scholar 2010; Prairies & Jesus College, (https://everitas.rmcalumni.ca/ex-cadet-heading-to-oxford-first-one-in-22-years/)
- 24862 2Lt Brendan Alexander (RMC 2011) Rhodes Scholar 2011, New College, (https://everitas.rmcalumni.ca/rmc-iv-year-brendan-alexander-a-rhodes-scholar-elect/)
Congratulations Layden. You join some impressive company not only from around the globe but right here from RMC. Don’t forget to share some of your experiances with the Alumni. we wish you bon voyage and bon chance.
Remember your roots !!
The family of 7291 Dr Tony Keefer ( 1945-2022) would like to congratulate Brendan on his winning of the Rhodes Scholarship in 2023. . Tony was a successful DPhil student at Balliol College and the scholarship had a major impact on his life . He joined the Government in Ottawa in the Pierre Trudeau era and was seconded to the World Intellectual Property a organisation in Geneva .Tony s daughter Lucy lives in Oxford with her family and would be delighted to meet with Brendan in the future.
Tony was a distinguished graduate of RMC and always a proud man of Canada .
Congratulations, Layden. We are so proud of you! Great work and dedication well rewarded.
Congratulations Brendan. Obviously well deserved and indicative of you skills both educational and military, as well as your example of Truth, Duty, Valour. Enjoy and share!
Layden, so very well deserved and deeply earned. We are all cheering you on and supporting you on this journey.
Félicitations! ❤️