For Truman scholar, hard work pays off

In between peer advising, working as the managing editor of The Vision and advising for the Writing Across The University program, College junior Rachel Skerritt still managed to find time to complete an extensive scholarship application and compile a public policy proposal. The time was evidently well spent, as Skerritt -- an English major and African-American Studies minor from Massachusetts -- was recently named one of approximately 75 Truman Scholars and received $30,000 to be used toward graduate school. The Harry Truman Scholarship Foundation awards the annual merit-based scholarships to college juniors who show a commitment to public service and intend to pursue graduate studies with the ultimate goal of a career in public service. Each university in the country can choose a maximum of four applicants to submit to the Truman Foundation. This year, all four applicants from Penn -- selected by a committee of the Office of University Life from almost 20 applicants -- were selected as finalists by the Foundation. Finalists are chosen largely due to their community service, government involvement and academic performance. Scholarship winners are then selected from this group of finalists based on leadership potential, communication skills, intellectual strength, analytical ability and likelihood of making a difference in public service. Skerritt, who heard about the scholarship from last year's winner, College senior Jamal Harris, said that she was initially "daunted by the application." Harris encouraged her to pursue the award, but Skerritt ultimately decided to apply because she needed money for graduate school. Looking back on the long and difficult application process, Skerritt added that she "probably wouldn't have done it" if she had known how much work had to be put into it. In addition to a thorough written application containing a number of short personal statements, Skerritt put together a public policy analysis on an issue related to the field she intends to pursue -- education -- and presented it in an interview with members of the Truman Foundation and past scholarship winners. Because she was not confident with her performance in her interview, Skerritt said she was ready to write off the whole process as "a good experience." So when Assistant Vice Provost for University Life and Penn's Truman Faculty Representative Terry Conn called Skerritt on March 22 to tell her she had won the coveted scholarship, Skerritt said she was "shocked." Conn, however, said that Skerritt was "poised, articulate and bright" during the interview and presented her argument well. Skerritt's proposal stemmed from her belief that there should be a scholastic element to work-study jobs. She proposed that money allotted to work-study jobs also be used toward service-learning courses. This idea, she said, was based on President Clinton's America Reads campaign, which she said is "a good initiative," but is not linked to actual student coursework. Her proposal -- as well as her plans for her future -- is connected to her "challenging and rewarding" summer last year, when she participated in the Penn Public Service Internship through the Center for Community Partnership. Skerritt will submatriculate into the Graduate School of Education in the fall and enroll in the Secondary Teacher Education Program for English, which "combines theory with teaching experience," she said. Ultimately, Skerritt hopes to act as a liaison between a major urban university and local public schools. Conn said it "speaks well for Penn" that all four applicants, including College juniors Jennifer Malkin and Samara Barend -- a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist -- and Engineering junior Eugene Huang were selected as finalists. In May, Skerritt will join the rest of this year's Truman scholars in Missouri for a Leadership Week and awards ceremony.