OXFORD, Miss. – Two University of Mississippi students have been named finalists for prestigious Truman Scholarships. The national awards go to outstanding college juniors who show leadership potential and have an interest in government or public sector service.
and Chelsea Caveny of Hattiesburg have been named
finalists for prestigious Truman Scholarships.
Photos by Nathan Latil.
Chelsea Caveny of Hattiesburg and Rachel Willis of Bartlett, Tenn., were chosen by the awarding foundation from a pool of 576 candidates from 245 universities. They are among 176 finalists overall this year, including 14 from Southeastern Conference schools, and are the only two from Mississippi universities. The winners, scheduled to be announced March 30, receive up to $30,000 for graduate school.
Both juniors in the College of Liberal Arts and members of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Caveny and Willis were nominated for the 2010 Truman by a campus committee.
“We are deeply proud to have two UM students named as finalists in one of the toughest scholarship competitions,” said Douglass Sullivan-González, Honors College dean. “Rachel and Chelsea have already demonstrated their abilities as ‘change agents.’ The honor of being named a finalist is an affirmation for their efforts and for the university’s commitment to nurturing future leaders.”
The two students agree that they feel greatly honored to have made it to the final round.
“This means that the selection committee saw something special in my application and my goals, and that is an incredible feeling,” Willis said. “Few people can claim this honor, and I feel proud and grateful to be one of them.”
“Honored holds true, but I feel much more than that,” Caveny said, adding that the application process itself provided a unique educational experience. “I have learned more than I ever imagined. I felt like I had tons of ideas and opinions in my head, but they were really scattered. Now, I know more about myself, my interests and my goals than I ever have before.”
Willis says she also has gained a better perspective of what’s ahead for her.
“I am more confident in myself and my ideas, and I am more set in my goals for the future. I have become sure of who I am and what I want to do, and, overall, I am learning to trust myself when expressing what I am passionate about.”
On her way to a career in politics as a champion of early childhood education in Mississippi, Willis expects to complete a bachelor’s degree in public policy leadership and political science at UM in May 2011. She plans to apply to the Mississippi Teacher Corps, which offers non-education majors an opportunity to teach while earning a master’s degree in secondary education. Her long-term goal is to obtain a master’s in education and human development at George Washington University.
“I hope to return to Mississippi after obtaining a master’s degree and continue teaching for several years to gain further understanding of our school system and its needs, as well as to ground myself in what is truly important to me,” she said. “From there, I hope to seek public office in the state, so that I may help influence legislation and policies that would benefit our education system.”
Caveny plans a career in public service that leads to playing a major role in revitalizing the Mississippi Delta.
“I hope to one day run a Mississippi-based nonprofit focused on a combination of educational opportunities for young people and adults in the state,” she said.
She is slated to graduate from Ole Miss in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in public policy leadership. She, too, hopes to enter a two-year commitment with the Mississippi Teacher Corps, then pursue a graduate degree at the University of Texas, possibly a joint juris doctorate and master’s in public affairs.
The Truman Scholarship was established by Congress in 1975 to honor the 33rd U.S. president. The mission of the Truman Scholarship Foundation is to find and recognize college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in the public service; and to provide them with financial support for graduate study, leadership training and fellowship with other students who are committed to making a difference through public service.
Last year, Jake McGraw of Oxford became the 13th Ole Miss student to be named a Truman Scholar.
For more information about the Truman Scholarship, visit http://truman.gov/. For more information on the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, go to http://www.honors.olemiss.edu/.