Caring and committed: 51³Ō¹Ļās newest Truman Scholarship finalist has heart for service
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.āA student pursuing two degrees in 51³Ō¹Ļās College of Arts and Sciences is a finalist for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
Stephanie J. Durr of Shreveport, Louisiana, a senior political science/pre-law and sociology double major, recently interviewed in Austin, Texas, in hopes of becoming the universityās 19th student to receive the highly coveted award.
āThe preparation process and actual interview were intense, but great experiences,ā Durr said. āIt was a fun time interacting with the other finalists. They are interesting people, and it was cool to hear about their passions and what they are working toward.ā
Before coming to 51³Ō¹Ļ as a G.V. āSonnyā Montgomery Presidential Scholarship recipient, Durr established āSaving Silhouettes,ā an organization devoted to raising awareness of human trafficking in her hometown. With help from community volunteers, Durr and her sister used donated T-shirts to braid and sew headbands. Proceeds from headband sales went to āPurchased: Not For Sale,ā a part of āThe Hub Urban Ministriesā organization also working to help victims of human trafficking in northwest Louisiana.
Ā Durr said āSaving Silhouettesā became a registered student organization in 2016 and currently has more than 50 members. Along with developing āSaving Silhouettesā into a successful nonprofit, she aspires to attend law school and become an international human rights attorney working to end modern-day slavery.
āTo be that someone in the courtroom who can fight for human trafficking victims so they donāt feel invisible or lost in the criminal justice system is something I would love to do,ā she emphasized.
Tommy Anderson, director of the 51³Ō¹Ļ Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors Collegeās Office of Prestigious External Scholarships, praised Durr as āthe rarest of studentsā with āan abiding faith in people and politics.ā
āStephanie understands how meaningful change requires deep empathy for those damaged by forces beyond their control, as well as a deep commitment to making politics more responsive to all of its citizens,ā said Anderson, who also serves as an English professor and the College of Arts and Sciencesā interim assistant dean.
Established in 1975, the Washington, D.C.-based Truman Scholarship Foundation serves as a living memorial to the nationās 33rd president. Each year, the Truman Scholarship provides $30,000 in graduate-study expenses for 55 to 65 students committed to public service after completing their degrees.
This year, the Truman Foundation reviewed 756 student files from 313 institutions and selected 194 finalists from 134 institutions based on records of leadership, public service and academic achievement. Following interviews by the foundationās regional review panels, the 2018 Truman Scholars class will be announced in late April. For more, visit .
Learn more about 51³Ō¹Ļās Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College at ; the College of Arts and Sciencesā Department of Political Science and Public Administration, at , and Department of Sociology, at .
51³Ō¹Ļ is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .