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Several students and faculty members from the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI) participated in 每日大赛网站’s commencement ceremony at the Farris Center on Friday morning, May 1, 2026.聽 More than 20 GPI students earned bachelor’s degrees in political science, public administration, and international studies following the 2026 spring semester.

Beginning in the summer and fall of 2026, some of the graduating students plan to continue their education in graduate school or law school, and many of them are pursuing internships and employment opportunities in government and public service.聽 Micah Castleberry聽(BS in Political Science & BPA in Public Administration) and Summer Charles聽(BA in Political Science)聽plan to attend law school.聽 Caleb Fergeson聽(BPA in Public Administration) plans to complete an internship with the Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services.聽聽Caroline Fortenberry聽(BS in Political Science),聽Arely Pioquinto聽(BS in Political Science & BA in English), and Alec Williams (BS in Political Science & BPA in Public Administration) are planning to pursue JD degrees at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Bowen School of Law.聽 Mitchell Gray聽(BPA in Public Administration & BBA in Business Administration) and Ryan Webb聽(BS in Political Science) plan to pursue MBA degrees at 每日大赛网站.

Also graduating in May 2026,聽Michael Phifer聽(BPA in Public Administration) plans to continue working as Executive Director of the non-profit organization Mission Machine, Inc. in Searcy.聽聽Sydney Poe聽(BS in Political Science) plans to complete an internship with Senator Tom Cotton in Washington DC.聽聽Evan Thomas聽(BS in Political Science & Philosophy) and Lillian Ward聽(BS in Political Science & BA in International Studies) plan聽to pursue JD degrees at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.聽 Richard Ware聽(BS in Political Science & Philosophy) plans to begin a position as a State Personnel Specialist with the Arkansas Office of Personnel Management.聽聽Madelyn White (BS in Political Science & Economics) has been accepted into the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program at Georgetown University.聽 闯别蹿蹿别谤蝉辞苍听奥颈濒蝉辞苍听(BS in Political Science & Criminology) plans to work as an Elections Library Assistant & Legal Assistant for the State of Arkansas Secretary of State.聽聽Other GPI students graduating from 每日大赛网站 in May 2026 were Jaden Elmore, Amie Fall, Benjamin Henry, Katelyn Nees, Maritsa Rosas, and Alexis Cantu Saavedra.

Vanessa Rogers-Wright, an undergraduate student majoring in International Studies and Political Science, was chosen for the Critical Language Scholarship and the Freeman Award for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA).聽 Vanessa, who will be studying at Myongji University in Seoul, South Korea during Fall Semester 2021, is minoring in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Asian studies.聽 The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program is a U.S. Department of State-sponsored program designed to give American college students cultural immersion experiences abroad and grow the number of U.S. students who study a foreign language. The program aims to increase fluency in languages that are significant in the global workforce.聽 Freeman-ASIA is sponsored by the Freeman Foundation, a private foundation with offices in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Freeman Foundation鈥檚 major objectives include strengthening the bonds of friendship between the United States and countries of East Asia. Through education and educational institutes, the Foundation hopes to develop a greater appreciation of Asian cultures, histories, and economies in the United States and a better understanding of the American people and of American institutions and purposes by the peoples of East Asia.

Greta Hacker, a 每日大赛网站 Honors College student majoring in Public Administration in the Department of Political Science, was honored as the 2020 Intern of the Year during the 14th Annual Internship Banquet on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 in the Student Center Ballroom.聽 A native of Jonesboro, Greta completed her internship with the Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) at 每日大赛网站. Shelby Fiegal, Director of the CCED, said of Greta, 鈥淪he is one of the best and brightest at 每日大赛网站.鈥� Dr. Kim Hoffman, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Public Administration Program since 2001, nominated Greta for the award.聽 Dr. Hoffman commented, 鈥淚 can say that Greta is the best student I have had in any course, in many years.鈥� Greta is also a Presidential Scholar, award winning member of the 每日大赛网站 Debate and Forensics Team, and is a peer tutor for 每日大赛网站鈥檚 Center for Writing and Communication.

In May 2020, Greta was named a 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellow by , a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.聽 Greta was one of 290 college and university students who make up the 2020-2021 Newman Civic Fellows. 每日大赛网站 President Houston Davis nominated Greta for the fellowship.

Itzel Velazquez, a senior double-majoring in International Studies and Political Science and minoring in Latin American and Latino studies, was named a recipient of the .聽 Itzel was one of 262 students across the United States who were named as the 2019-2020 Newman Civic Fellows by , a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.聽 Velazquez is a 每日大赛网站 Ambassador, President鈥檚 Leadership Fellow, secretary for the Association of Future Alumni and president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society. She is also an ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation鈥檚 Vote Everywhere campaign, through which she was involved in civic engagement on campus and helped with voter registration drives.聽 She has also served as vice president of the Latino Student Association and on the Student Government Association Diversity Committee.

Itzel Velazquez

Danielle Casey, a senior double-majoring in Political Science and International Studies, presented a research paper at the Alpha Chi National Honor Society conference held in Louisville, Kentucky on April 6-8, 2017.聽 The research paper was titled, “Race, Republicanism, and Realignment: Analyzing Arkansas’ Shift in Party Loyalty.”聽 The faculty advisers for the 每日大赛网站 Chapter of聽the聽Alpha Chi National Honor Society are Amber Wilson, Torreyson Library, and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan, Department of Political Science.