Rhodes Scholar Who Allegedly Lied About Childhood Abuse, Poverty Loses Spot at Oxford

A University of Pennsylvania graduate student had her Rhodes Scholarship revoked after an anonymous tip provided more details of her life story.

Mackenzie Fierceton, 23, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, possesses a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and planned to utilize the scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in social policy.

According to a November 2020 press release issued by the Rhodes Trust, Fierceton was one of 32 Americans virtually selected out of 2,300 applicants to study in her field at the University of Oxford in England in October 2022.

This year's class includes 22 women, the most ever elected in a year, and has winners from 24 different colleges and universities.

"We are extremely proud of Penn's newest Rhodes Scholar," President Amy Gutmann originally said about Fierceton's selection. "Committed to research and advocacy to make a positive impact in the world, Mackenzie is so deserving of this prestigious opportunity to build upon her Penn education and experience.

"As a first-generation low-income student and a former foster youth, Mackenzie is passionate about championing young people in those communities through her academic, professional, and personal endeavors, dedicating herself to a life of public service."

The two-year application process required endorsement by a college or university, of which 826 applicants were endorsed by 247 different colleges and universities. Committees then interviewed "the strongest applicants" to be interviewed in 16 U.S. districts, with each district interviewing at least 14 finalists.

Rhodes Scholarships pay for two or three years' worth of expenses at the world-acclaimed university. The first class was selected in 1904.

Fierceton would have been the 31st Penn Rhodes Scholar.

But the Ivy League graduate's dreams were thwarted when an anonymous tip submitted to the Rhodes Trust and University of Pennsylvania reported her for being "blatantly dishonest."

The source told the Rhodes Trust that Fierceton, whose birth name was Mackenzie Morrison, actually went to a private school in Missouri rather than spend the majority of her life in foster care as her application described.

An article published in the Chronicle for Higher Education described how Fierceton's past came back to haunt her, as officials at the University of Pennsylvania requested real answers behind her life story.

The Rhodes selection was followed by an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, in which the publication printed that she "grew up poor, cycling through the child welfare system. Her circumstances, while difficult, set her on a path that made education her escape."

"School was always an outlet because I never felt like I had any control over my home life or any other part of my life. ...Also, I loved learning and it was genuinely a joyful thing for me," she was quoted in the story.

Also, in a 2020 story published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it was stated that Fierceton graduated from Whitfield School in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis, in 2016. Tuition at the school is reportedly about $30,000 per year before financial aid, according to the Evening Standard.

The University of Pennsylvania provided a statement to Newsweek in reference to the situation, which now includes Fierceton suing the university.

"We are disappointed that Mackenzie Fierceton has chosen to file a lawsuit, especially after she has received so many opportunities at Penn," the statement read. "Ordinarily, we do not comment on pending litigation. This matter, however, is far from ordinary."

The statements mentioned "credible information" received by both the university and the Rhodes Trust regarding questionable statements Fierceton made in her applications for admission, financial assistance and scholarships.

The Rhodes Trust conducted its own investigation, the statement said, during which it considered evidence and arguments provided by Fierceton and her attorney. It also prepared a comprehensive report that was provided to Fierceton in April 2020.

"The Trust then gave Ms. Fierceton the opportunity to withdraw her candidacy if she chose to do so," the statement continued. "Ms. Fierceton accepted that offer and withdrew her candidacy. Since then, Ms. Fierceton has been involved in internal university proceedings, as described more fully in our court filing.

"There is no basis for Ms. Fierceton's claims. We are confident that Penn and the individuals named by Ms. Fierceton as additional defendants will be vindicated in the litigation."