Warren Resident to be Honored by Warren Mayor Jim Fouts as Recipient of 2014 Truman Scholarship

A Warren resident and 2011 graduate of East Detroit High School, Jamie Bergstrom, was named one of 59 recipients of the prestigious Truman Scholarship.

Bergstrom will be presented with a mayoral resolution by Warren Mayor Jim Fouts Tuesday, June 3 at 3:30 p.m. in the Mayor’s Office.

Bergstrom received her award May 25 in Independence, Missouri, the birthplace of President Truman.

The scholarship, created in memory of thirty-third President Harry S. Truman, supports the graduate education of outstanding young people who are committed to leadership and public service. Over 600 students applied, with 204 finalists being named and 59 ultimately chosen.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, president of Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, announced the names of the finalists from 52 U.S. colleges and universities who were selected as 2014 Truman scholars.

Selection panels met across the United States and included distinguished public service leaders, elected officials, university presidents, federal judges, and past Truman Scholarship winners. A listing of the new scholars can be found at the Truman Foundation’s website: http://www.truman.gov.

Each new Truman scholar received up to $30,000 for graduate study. Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

Recipients must be U.S. citizens, have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, be in the top quarter of their class, and be committed to careers in government or the non-profit sector.

Bergstrom, a junior at Duke University, is pursuing studies in Middle East issues, human rights and international affairs. During her tenure at Duke, she has studied abroad in three countries (Egypt, Turkey and Israel), worked alongside influential for profit and nonprofit organizations, and published original research. She is a member of Omega Phi Beta, a professional sorority for businesswomen whose mission is “serving education through our diversity.”

Raised by her single mom who worked a full-time job, Ms. Bergstrom was part of the Latch Key Program. With the extra time at school, she was always interested in learning more and talking with teachers, principals and other leaders in the schools, including dual enrollment and summer programs at Macomb Community College her junior and senior years in high school. Upon graduation, Jamie had accrued 29 college credits through advanced placement and was named class of 2011 Valedictorian.

This summer, Bergstrom will be a fellow at Princeton Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute. The Junior Summer Institute provides participants with the tools for critical thinking, speaking, writing and quantitative reasoning, and with the skills and experiences necessary to create, analyze, implement, evaluate and affect policy in a
multicultural, multi-ethnic society. Upon completion, she will be leaving for England where she will complete her fourth study abroad program, this time at Oxford University.

For more information about Jamie Bergstrom, and the work she is doing, please visit her personal website at: http://www.jamiebergstrom.com/