Hattiesburg, Miss. – Two University of Southern Mississippi students have been named finalists for a prestigious Truman Scholarship and have been preparing for the challenging interview process required of applicants.

Jessica Shackleford, a chemistry major from Senatobia, and Paul Saputo, a psychology major from New Orleans, La., meet with Truman regional interview committees through March 10 in Nashville, Tenn., and Fort Worth, Texas. Both are students in the university’s prestigious Honors College.

Named in honor of the late U.S. President Harry S. Truman, the Truman Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving college juniors who show commitment to public service and potential to continue that service beyond graduation. It provides $30,000 for graduate study and leadership training.

To prepare for the interview stage, both Shackleford and Saputo have engaged in mock interviews on campus with the help of faculty, administrators and community members, which includes questions on a variety of topics of the panel’s choosing.

“I don’t think you’re ever really ready,” said Shackleford, who was named to the USA Today’s Honorable Mention Academic Team in February. “It’s a very rigorous process.”

Saputo concurred. “There are no words to describe it,” he said. “Even the application process is daunting.”

Outside of the classroom, both Saputo and Shackleford have been active in serving their communities. Saputo, a Presidential Scholar at Southern Miss, has worked as a community activist to help his native New Orleans recover from the impact of Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge. He founded Conversations for Change, through which he has engaged in helping communities address social issues in Hattiesburg, New Orleans and on campus.

Shackleford, who was also named a Goldwater Scholar last year, is director of FANTASIA, a program to increase access to higher education for high school students. She began the program at Hattiesburg High School and then implemented similar programs at Sacred Heart and Oak Grove High Schools.

As part of the Truman Scholarship application process, students must also present a policy proposal on an issue affecting society. Saputo’s proposal, titled “Community Crime Crisis Response Unit” is designed to reduce neighborhood crime through social and environmental improvements. Shackleford’s is “Improving College Awareness Programs in Mississippi Public High Schools,” which proposes implementation of a statewide college prep program in public schools through specialized counselors.

Southern Miss alumni and Truman Scholarship recipient Lance Brown, who has worked in government and political campaigns now works with an advertising agency in Montgomery, Ala., met with the two students recently and helped them in the preparation process. To date, he is the only student from Southern Miss to receive the Truman Scholarship.

“My goal was to give them as much insight as I could into the process,” Brown said. “It’s a challenging process of evaluating your intentions in life, and certainly makes you think more about it.”

To prepare the students for the interviews, Peggy Varnado, Southern Miss national scholarship adviser, arranged practice interviews with panels composed of faculty members and administrators from across the university, including Dr. David Davies, dean of the Honors College; Dr. Rex Gandy, dean of the College of Science and Technology; Dr. Ken Panton, retired dean of the Honors College; and Dr. Mike Forster, director of the School of Social Work. The team challenged and questioned the students in a rigorous 20-minute interview.

Southern Miss faculty who have served as mentors for Shackleford and Saputo include Dr. Gandy, Dr. Davies, Dr. Robert Bateman, Dr. Richard Conville, Dr. Doug Masterson, Dr. Amy Miller, Dr. Stan Kuczaj and Dr. Sabine Heinhorst.

Brown said both students possess important qualities that make them worthy of consideration for the Truman Scholarship.

“Jessica is analytical and has a great knack for getting to the heart of a problem, and Paul has a real passion for the causes he’s dedicated his life to,” he said.

Click to enlarge