NASSAU COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) -- Hofstra University is celebrating the school's first-ever Rhodes Scholar.

Resa Nelson, 21, is a biology major in the class of 2026, who has been working on transforming seaweed from her native Antigua into sustainable biofuel.

She was selected from among nine finalists, becoming just the second Rhodes Scholar from Antigua.

Overall, she was one of about 100 students chosen, from around the world, for the prestigious academic honor.

Nelson originally came to Hofstra with the intention of going to medical school and becoming a doctor, but she says her plans changed once she started doing research.

"I realized I loved the act of discovery, the process of asking questions, and finding answers," she said.

Nelson has been doing research under the guidan

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