Senior Elijah Darden selected for competitive postgraduate scholarship. (Isabelle Diaz-Mira | Photo Editor)

Senior Elijah Darden was recently selected for the highly competitive Gates Cambridge Scholarship, allowing him to pursue a fully funded postgraduate course of study at the University of Cambridge next year.

Darden is majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences and minoring in Music at WashU’s College of Arts & Sciences. He is a member of the Annika Rodriguez Scholars Program at WashU and the president of the Emergency Support Team (EST). Post graduation, Darden hopes to pursue a master’s degree in Population Health Sciences, complete a research thesis that focuses on health inequalities, and then return to the U.S. to attend medical school. 

Dr. Julia Macias, Director of Student Leadership at the George and Carol Bauwe Leaders Academy, wrote one of Darden’s recommendation letters. She mentioned that Darden has served as a mentor for other Rodriguez Scholars, leading a variety of presentations for them on health and safety. 

“He’s always that person who’s like, ‘Okay, I have this knowledge, or I have this resource or opportunity. How do I share it more broadly?’” Macias said.

As EST President, Darden has worked to make training programs more affordable for the WashU community. American Heart Association Basic Life Support and CPR training is now $10, as opposed to the $80 fee that private companies often charge according to The Source. Darden was also able to secure Student Union funding to make training for undergraduate students free. He introduced “Stop the Bleed” classes in collaboration with WashU Emergency Management, which expanded bystander medical training to the larger WashU community. 

Darden has helped implement the use of female mannequins for CPR training in EST as a result of his studies in collaboration with the LifeSaveHer Program. Darden studied the comfort levels of trainees practicing CPR on female mannequins, which is relevant because many bystanders do not recognize the signs of cardiac arrest as well in women, nor do they feel they can perform CPR without physically harming women. This is especially important because women have lower cardiac arrest survival rates than men. Partly due to these changes, EST has now successfully certified approximately 800 WashU community members. 

Darden explained that his involvement in public health at WashU through his premed classes and EST engagement is what inspired him to pursue postgraduate work exploring health inequalities.

“Learning about all these inequalities, all these barriers to health, really pushed me towards public health and knowing that I want to integrate that with my future medical studies,” Darden said.

Darden said that studying Psychological and Brain Sciences and Music have helped him to see the importance of interdisciplinary solutions for societal issues.

“I think my studies of music are a microcosm into how I wish to integrate fields together,” he said.

Darden’s girlfriend, junior Chloe Carlish, mentioned that Darden was particularly excited about the Gates Cambridge Scholarship compared to other programs he applied to.

“He has applied to many different programs, but you could tell that this one mattered a little extra,” Carlish said. “He was a little nervous about it.”

Carlish also talked about some of the traits she admired in Darden.

“I think he’s attentive, and I think he’s kind, and I think he’s brilliant also, but I’m a little biased,” Carlish said.

Macias expressed her excitement for Darden’s future, noting the sincerity of his community-driven aspirations. 

“When I think of Elijah, I think of his dedication to community. I think it’s not just about résumés or rewards. I think he really feels driven by whatever he does to also have this community impact,” Macias said.

Carlish mentioned various things she admires about Darden.

“One of the things I appreciate about Elijah is the way he almost always pauses before he speaks. The level of thoughtfulness that he intrinsically navigates the world with shows he’s someone that is so deeply thoughtful and intentional about the way he acts,” Carlish said. 

Carlish drew attention to how Darden carries himself beyond the realm of academia.

“There might be first years who look at a person like him and think, ‘How will I ever be that?’ I think he’s also someone with a deep appreciation for life and its levities and its pauses and its silliness, so I don’t think he takes himself as seriously as other people would maybe hypothesize,” Carlish said.

Darden said he would encourage other WashU students to not sell themselves short and apply to similar programs and scholarships. He was recently a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, and he talked about the importance of perseverance when things do not work out right away.

“I did not get the Rhodes Scholarship, but the Gates Cambridge was a much better fit for me and my goals and what I wanted to do,” Darden said. “The right opportunity, whether it’s one of these programs or something else in your life, will come your way.” 

Macias echoed Darden’s advice, encouraging WashU students to dream big and put themselves out there.

“It’s great to have big plans. Sometimes, I think our students are really humble, but you can also be like, ‘Okay, this is where I want to go’” Macias said.

Darden said his acceptance to the Gates Cambridge program made him excited to see what his peers will go on to do after graduation.

“I’m excited to see what we all are going to do, and I’m just happy that I get to also be part of that greater narrative,” Darden said.