|  Oivia Meeks of Hot Springs is the
latest University of Arkansas student chosen as a Truman Scholar
by the members of the Truman Scholarship Foundation. Meeks is an
Honors College Fellow, Economics Honors Scholar and a senior majoring
in economics and political science in the J. William Fulbright
College of Arts and Sciences.
"Olivia Meeks has more than earned this honor through her
strong intellect, her hard work, her wide-ranging interests and
her boundless energy," said Chancellor John A. White. "Her
academic accomplishments are obvious, but she has also demonstrated
a passion for applying what she's learning to her community and
to the world. Olivia is an outstanding example of what an Arkansas
student can accomplish with an education at the University of Arkansas."
Meeks is a graduate of Lake Hamilton High School, where she was
a National Merit Scholar, a Governor's Scholar, and an Arkansas
Times Academic All-Star. She is the current president of the student
chapter of the Omni Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology. She
was the project leader on a community development program in Belize
and has served as an intern for the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. She also worked as an intern in the special collections
department of Mullins Library, archiving the papers of Rep. John
Paul Hammerschmidt. In addition, she has her own radio show on
KXUA, "Sugar and Spice," which features women in music.
"Saying that I am 'honored' to be selected as a Truman Scholar
doesn't begin to describe the experience," Meeks said. "Throw
in 'shocked,' 'humbled,' 'flattered,' 'motivated,' 'overjoyed,'
'anxious,' 'blessed,' and 'extremely grateful,' and then you may
get a complete picture of what this means to me and to my future
career in public service.
"The Truman Scholarship is more than a personal achievement.
I never would have gotten this far without my amazing family, who
are my greatest inspiration and biggest supporters. This is also
a testament to the university Honors College's dedication to student
success and to the work of Suzanne McCray and all the faculty members
who logged in the time to help me prepare."
About 75 Truman Scholars are selected each year, chosen from among
hundreds of students on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual
ability and likelihood of "making a difference."
"Very talented students from prestigious institutions across
the country compete for this award," said Suzanne McCray,
associate dean of the Honors College. "It is often impossible
to say why students are not chosen, but it is easy to see why Olivia
was. She has an appealing spark, tied to a will of iron. She is
absolutely committed to making a difference for groups in our community
who are struggling, and anyone who has worked with her knows that
she will certainly do so."
Each student receives a $30,000 scholarship to be used toward
graduate study, as well as priority admission and supplemental
financial aid at premier graduate institutions. They also get leadership
training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship
opportunities within the federal government.
Meeks plans to pursue a master's degree in public policy at the
Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California,
Berkeley. Her long-term plans include working for the Department
of Education and eventually returning to the state to work on educational
issues at the state level.
The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress
in 1975 as a federal memorial to President Harry S. Truman. The
foundation has awarded more than 2,400 scholarships for college
students to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in
public service.
The first University of Arkansas Truman Scholar was Cindy Jessen
in 1978. Previous Truman Scholarship winners from the university
include Toni T. Friend, 1979; Mark R. Wilkins, 1980; Earnest Brown
Alsor, 1990; Lou Green, 1993; Jon Fernandez, 1995; Warwick Sabin,
1997; Megan Ceronsky and Angela Maxwell, 1999; Stephanie Gosnell,
2002; Catherine St. Clair, 2005; and Dwayne Bensing, 2006.
In 2002, the University of Arkansas received the Truman Honor
Institution Award for its commitment to assisting students interested
in a career in public service.
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Contact:
Suzanne McCray, associate dean
Honors College
(479)575-7678, smccray@uark.edu
Steve Voorhies, manager of media relations
University Relations
(479) 575-3583, voorhies@uark.edu
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