SU junior Marc Peters selected as a 2007 Truman Scholar

SU junior Marc Peters selected as a 2007 Truman ScholarMarch 27, 2007Jaime Winne Alvarez jlwinne@syr.edu

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation has announced that Syracuse University junior Marc R. Peters, a newspaper and policy studies major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs/The College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a 2007 Truman Scholar. One of 65 Truman Scholars for this year, Peters was among 585 nominees from colleges and universities nationwide.

“This award is a tremendous honor and one that I do not take lightly,” says Peters, a resident of Laurel, Md. “I am passionate about making my life one of service because I feel a debt of gratitude to the teachers, professors and mentors who enabled me to overcome obstacles in my life. The Truman Scholar finalists are all incredible people. It is unbelievably meaningful to me that I was recognized within that distinguished crowd. I’m excited to be part of the Truman Scholarship legacy and the expansive scholar community.”

Truman Scholars are recognized as “future change agents,” possessing the passion, intellect and leadership potential that demonstrate their potential to improve the ways that public entities?government agencies, nonprofit organizations, public and private primary and secondary schools, or advocacy organizations-serve the public good. As a Truman Scholar, Peters will receive a $30,000 scholarship toward graduate school.

“Marc approached me as a freshman full of ideas on things he could do to improve conditions for the less fortunate,” says William D. Coplin, professor and director of the Public Affairs Program in the Maxwell School and The College of Arts and Sciences and faculty representative for the Truman Scholar program. “I was impressed by his drive and his commitment to citizenship, but a little worried that he was an over-the-top freshman trying to save the world and would burn out quickly. Instead, he has done several very important things on this campus?among others, helping to build the Skills for Success Program and arranging a forum on Sudan. I’m not surprised that the committee saw his intelligence and selected him as a Truman Scholar.”

At SU, Peters spends his time volunteering to work for gender and racial equality. In addition to helping build and coach for the Skills for Success Pro-Challenge, a program for 14- to 19-year-old Syracuse students that prepares them for college or entry into the workforce, he serves as vice president of A Men’s Issue (AMI), a student organization dedicated to exploring issues about masculinity and sexual violence in our society. Through peer education and presentations, AMI makes men more aware that rape and domestic violence are issues of which all men should be aware.

Peters has served as vice president of the Student Advisory Board for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, staff writer at The Daily Orange, member of the University Union Speakers Board and official scorekeeper for the SU women’s basketball team. He also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. Through the Maxwell School, he was a program assistant for the Maxwell in Washington undergraduate semester and a teaching assistant for the Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy course. Peters hopes to return to his home state of Maryland to work in education and later politics.

“Marc’s enterprising attitude, deep engagement and commitment to helping others are highly visible examples of Scholarship in Action,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “His selection as a Truman Scholar is a testament to what sets Syracuse University students apart.”

For more on the Truman Scholarships, visit http:// www.truman.gov/index.htm