University of Arkansas Student Chosen as Truman Scholar

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Olivia 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.