Scholarships awarded to 3 'U' students

By Jodie Kaufman

Daily Staff Reporter

Three University students have been announced as the recipients of prestigious national awards. Two of the students were named as this year's Truman Scholars and one as a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.

LSA juniors Michael Masters and Peter Romer-Friedman are among the 75 recipients of the Truman award, bringing the University's total to 13 since 1985. The award is a federal memorial to the 33rd president of the United States.

Truman scholarship coordinator Elleanor Crown said it is extremely rare for the University to have two recipients.

"It is not even usual for the University to get one," Crown said.

"This is a very big deal, there is a multi-layer nomination process where candidates are nominated by their home institution," Crown said.

Honors Program Director Rob Van Der Voo said more than a dozen University students applied.

The University has its own screening program, including an application process open to all juniors. A committee reviews the applications and holds personal interviews. Each university is permitted to submit four applicants.

Van Der Voo said the candidates are assessed based on their dedication to others. "We are looking at what accomplishments they've made in public service in college and high school that lead us to saying they have a promising career in public service," he said.

This year's winners are LSA students, but any junior looking ahead to a career in public service is eligible, Crown said.

"It is a fairly comprehensive application process," Masters said. "There are 700 applicants, and the Truman Foundation grants 200 interviews, of which 75 are chosen."

The applicants compete against students in their home state.

Masters said he is planning on attending law school.

"Like I said in the application, I will be using the money towards law school - I have looked into Colombia but it's not my only choice, their program is very much along the lines of what I'm looking to do which is child advocacy, public law and public policy," Masters said.

The scholarship winners this year will receive merit-based scholarships of $30,000, $27,000 of which is to go towards professional or graduate school to help prepare them for their careers and $3,000 for their undergraduate studies.

"There is no question that both of them in different ways fit the critique of the Truman scholarship to a tee. They are both very knowledgeable about the issues they are interested in," said Crown, who is also Masters' academic adviser.

"Peter is known for his work with (Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equity). He is an activist, and Michael is the president of Blood Drive United and the chairman of community service for Michigan Student Assembly and is very active with the Native American community of the Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Indian Reservation, which I think really stands out," Van Der Voo said.

Romer-Friedman, who plans to attend law school as well as public policy or graduate school to study economics, said he was impressed by the competition during the interview process in New York.

"I left the interview feeling confident that I did my best in displaying my own abilities and my vision for the nation."

Romer-Friedman said he was honored to be acknowledged for his work on campus social issues. "I'm ecstatic to be recognized for my achievements at the University especially the major victories that my colleagues and I in Student Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality have collectively attained in the past two years," he said.

Michigan Student Assembly President Bram Elias was told about his Fulbright award last night. Elias said he was "excited, nervous, really happy, really sad and really nervous" about the news that he received one of 12 Fulbright scholarships to the United Kingdom for next year. The program allows students to travel abroad to perform research for an academic year. The international award was established in 1946 by former Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Nearly 230,000 have received the award and about 4,500 are awarded annually.

Elias will study in Belfast, Northern Ireland and work towards a Masters of Art in Comparative Ethnic Conflict.

"Half of the year will be spent studying and working on the peace process between the Protestants and the Catholics and then I'll spend the second half of the year comparing that peace process to the mechanics used in South Africa in the post-Apartheid government," Elias said.