Two Kansas State University students among Truman Scholarship finalists
Friday, March 4, 2016
MANHATTAN — Two Kansas State University students, Ronald Sullivan, senior in international agribusiness, Paola, and Jill Applegate, senior in political science and Spanish, Shawnee, are finalists for the 2016 Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
The Truman Scholarship recognizes college students with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in public service, government or the nonprofit sector. If awarded, it provides up to $30,000 in financial support for graduate education. Sullivan and Applegate will interview for the scholarship on March 14 at the District Court of Western Missouri in Kansas City, Missouri. The scholarship committee will announce the winners of approximately 60 scholarships nationwide on April 22.
Sullivan is the founder and president of Wildcats for International Development, a mentor for the university's First Scholars Program, a violinist for St. Isidore's choir, grand knight for St. Isidore's Knights of Columbus, and community service chair for St. Isidore's Student Leadership Team. In addition, Sullivan is a search committee member for the Southwest Kansas 4-H youth extension specialist. He also was the president of International Buddies, selections chair for Chimes Junior Honorary, public relations chair for Phi Eta Sigma, and a member of Silver Key, College of Agriculture Ambassadors, 4-H International Exchange Program's board of directors and the international service team to Mexico. In addition, he served on the 2015 International Leadership Association Case Study Competition team. Sullivan has received several awards and honors, including the Cargill Global Scholarship, 2015 Global Food Security Symposium Next Generation Delegate, UNL McKelvie Public Service Scholarship, Flinchbaugh Ag Policy Scholarship and Staley School of Leadership Studies-Student Spotlight recognition.
Applegate is a Bill Snyder leadership legacy fellow, a research assistant in the sociology program, an English as a second language teacher, a lecture coordinator for the university's Presidential Lecture Series and a member of the Student Foundation and Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She was recruitment and marketing vice president for Alpha Delta Pi, project coordinator for K-State Proud, the Greek outreach coordinator for the Kays and Kennedy student body president and vice president campaign, and served on the 2015 International Leadership Association Case Study Competition Team. Applegate has received the Mortar Board Outstanding Junior Award, semester honors for seven consecutive semesters, the College of Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research Award, Putnam Scholarship, Goss Discovery Study Abroad Scholarship and a Margaret E. Beeson Scholarship in Modern Languages. Applegate is working with Alisa Garni, assistant professor of sociology, to research migration and economic development in rural Kansas communities.
To learn more about competing for future Truman Scholarships or other nationally competitive honors while a student at Kansas State University, contact Jim Hohenbary at jimlth@k-state.edu.
