Clemson students Ellisen Berry of Westminster, South Carolina, and Olivia Oefinger of Bells, Texas, will study at the University of Oxford this summer as 2026 Duckenfield Scholars through a selective Honors College opportunity.
During a five-week program at St. Peter’s Summer School at Magdalen College, students take part in an immersive academic experience at one of the world’s most historic universities, engaging closely with faculty while studying classic works in the places that shaped them. Berry and Oefinger will explore the works of classic authors such as Shakespeare and Jane Austen while visiting sites connected to their lives and writing.
“Experiences like the Christopher J. Duckenfield Scholars Program help students connect ideas across disciplines and deepen what they’re learning in the classroom,” said Sarah Winslow, dean of the Clemson University Honors College. “It gives them space to ask bigger questions, engage more thoughtfully with their work and make connections that stay with them.”
Ellisen Berry
Berry is majoring in political science and religious studies with minors in history and classics. A member of Clemson’s Lyceum Program, her interests include political theory, religion and how ideas shape culture and systems of governance. After she graduates, Berry plans to pursue graduate study and hopes to teach.
Berry said the Duckenfield Scholarship will help her grow both academically and personally.
“I really wanted to immerse myself in the culture and challenge myself,” she said. “Spending five weeks studying an author who has shaped so much of Western culture is really exciting.”
At Oxford, Berry will study Shakespeare, connecting what she studies to the places that shaped the playwright’s work.
“The rich history there is so appealing,” she said. “Being able to fully immerse myself in that environment and see how it shaped Shakespeare’s writing is what I’m most excited about.”
She credits Clemson’s Honors College with preparing her for the experience.
“It’s not, ‘I’m here to get a degree,’” Berry said. “It’s ‘I’m here because I care about something.’”
Olivia Oefinger
Oefinger is majoring in economics and philosophy and plans to attend law school and pursue a career in public policy or appellate law. She previously studied abroad through the Honors College’s Dixon Global Policy Scholars program in Paris and Berlin and is interested in the intersection of economics, ethics and law.
Oefinger said the Duckenfield Scholarship has been a goal since early in her Clemson Experience.
“I’ve always known, since I first came to Clemson, that I wanted to apply,” she said. “Studying abroad is a really important part of the college experience.”
At Oxford, she will study Jane Austen, exploring the economic and social themes in her work.
“The way Jane Austin pushed boundaries and captured change is really fascinating,” Oefinger said. “I think I can apply what I learn in Oxford to how I analyze legal cases in the future.”
She also emphasized the value of learning alongside peers with different perspectives.
“You learn so much not only from professors, but from other students,” she said. “Everyone brings a different background, and that’s something I’ll always remember.”
A lasting impact
Marty Duckenfield and her family created the Christopher J. Duckenfield Scholars Program in memory of her husband, who worked at Clemson for 26 years, including as vice provost for computing and information technology.
The program is a partnership between the Honors College and the Duckenfield family. It has provided more than 30 Honors students the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford through St. Peter’s College Summer School at Magdalen College. Scholars are selected through a competitive application process based on their talent, motivation and commitment.
