Caring and committed: 汤头条鈥檚 newest Truman Scholarship finalist has heart for service
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 student pursuing two degrees in 汤头条鈥檚 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 university鈥檚 19th student to receive the highly coveted award.
鈥淭he preparation process and actual interview were intense, but great experiences,鈥 Durr said. 鈥淚t 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.鈥
Before coming to 汤头条 as a G.V. 鈥淪onny鈥 Montgomery Presidential Scholarship recipient, Durr established 鈥淪aving Silhouettes,鈥 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 鈥淧urchased: Not For Sale,鈥 a part of 鈥淭he Hub Urban Ministries鈥 organization also working to help victims of human trafficking in northwest Louisiana.
聽Durr said 鈥淪aving Silhouettes鈥 became a registered student organization in 2016 and currently has more than 50 members. Along with developing 鈥淪aving Silhouettes鈥 into a successful nonprofit, she aspires to attend law school and become an international human rights attorney working to end modern-day slavery.
鈥淭o be that someone in the courtroom who can fight for human trafficking victims so they don鈥檛 feel invisible or lost in the criminal justice system is something I would love to do,鈥 she emphasized.
Tommy Anderson, director of the 汤头条 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College鈥檚 Office of Prestigious External Scholarships, praised Durr as 鈥渢he rarest of students鈥 with 鈥渁n abiding faith in people and politics.鈥
鈥淪tephanie 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,鈥 said Anderson, who also serves as an English professor and the College of Arts and Sciences鈥 interim assistant dean.
Established in 1975, the Washington, D.C.-based Truman Scholarship Foundation serves as a living memorial to the nation鈥檚 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 foundation鈥檚 regional review panels, the 2018 Truman Scholars class will be announced in late April. For more, visit .
Learn more about 汤头条鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College at ; the College of Arts and Sciences鈥 Department of Political Science and Public Administration, at , and Department of Sociology, at .
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .