GVSU student selected as finalist for prestigious Truman Scholar Award

Grand Valley State University student Cameron Jones has been selected as a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Award, the nation's most prestigious domestic award for undergraduate students. 

Jones, Grand Valley's second-ever Truman finalist, was selected from among 840 applications from 346 colleges and universities. Truman finalists are selected based on their records of leadership, public service and academic achievement. Truman finalists from 143 colleges and universities are now being interviewed by the Foundation's Regional Review Panels and scholars will be announced in late April.

The Truman Scholarship Foundation recognizes students with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to affecting change through public service by providing them with financial support for graduate study, leadership training and fellowship with other students. Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 to pursue graduate study in preparation for careers in government or public service.

Jones, of Trenton, Michigan, is a third-year member and Presidential Scholar in the Frederik Meijer Honors College at Grand Valley. He is pursuing a double major in political science and international relations.

He is also a fellow in the Cook Leadership Academy, a cohort of students who actively study leadership through the university's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. He currently serves as vice president of external relations for the university's Student Senate and as an executive board member for Model UN. In his first year at Grand Valley, he co-founded Issues Forum, a bi-monthly discussion group that brings students together to talk through the anxiety and the hostility of the current political climate.

Jones has also worked as a legislative aide to state Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown) and served as a campaign field director for state Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids). This field experience and constituent services work inspired his Truman policy proposal, focused on restorative justice. His work centers on eliminating barriers to convicted felons’ economic integration.

As a Truman Scholar, Jones intends to pursue a master’s in public administration at the Gerald R. Ford School at the University of Michigan, in hopes of deepening his understanding of Michigan's historical and political environment, and to engage in public service at local and national levels. 

Elizabeth Harrington Lambert, director of the Meijer Office of Fellowships, said Jones has demonstrated leadership and community engagement, both on campus at Grand Valley, and in state and local politics.

"Cameron has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with a passion for public service, and he's incredibly deserving of recognition from the Truman Foundation," Lambert said. 

The Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships supports interested undergraduate and graduate students and alumni in pursuing major national and international award opportunities, providing information and direct support throughout the competitive application processes. 

For more information, visit gvsu.edu/fellowships.