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WO JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE students — Sarah Glaser, a senior pursuing dual degrees in Political Science and Public Health, and Samuel Rechek, a junior majoring in Political Science and Philosophy with minors in Economics and History — are two of just 20 students nationwide selected as Key into Public Service Scholars by The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society. The award recognizes students who have demonstrated interest in working in the public sector and who present a strong academic record in the arts, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences. Chosen from more than 800 applicants attending chapter institutions across the nation, each scholar receives a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship and receives training, mentoring, and guided reflection on pathways into active citizenship. “The Society selected these exemplary students for their intellectual curiosity; breadth and depth across liberal arts and sciences coursework; positive contributions on and off campus through academic research, internships, and community work; and demonstrated commitment to serve the common good,” Phi Beta Kappa Secretary Frederick M. Lawrence said. “As the country tackles concurrent health, economic, and social crises, the Society applauds the 2021 Service Scholars for their pursuit of arts and sciences excellence in service of the greater good.” A native of Sarasota, Florida, Glaser has a passion for public service. She served as a legislative intern for Florida State Representative Fentrice Driskell. She founded and chaired Florida Students for Biden, interned in the Washington office of U.S. Representative Charlie Crist, and is a member of President Biden’s National Youth Advisory Committee. In the Fall of 2021, she interned with a public advocacy organization in London, and has been admitted to the prestigious London School of Economics for Fall 2022. Her special interest is to protect and advance electoral democracy through election monitoring. Rechek, a native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is passionate about the First Amendment’s value for democratic law and society. He is the president and founder of a student organization dedicated to engaging students with their First Amendment protections on campus, and he recently co-authored a manu-
SCHOLARS
2021 KEY INTO PUBLIC SERVICE SCHOLARS
script exploring social media users’ tendency to avoid diverse political opinions. He credits the Key into Public Service application with helping him further define his career trajectory. “One of the essay prompts was to tell about the PBK member you admire most,” says Rechek. “I chose Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who served on the U.S. Supreme Court in the early twentieth century. I admire him because he was open to new ideas and the reevaluation of the law during his career, moving from supporting censorship to advocating for broad freedom of speech under the First Amendment. After graduation, I plan to pursue a JD/PhD and enter the law profession with a long-term goal of becoming a judge who, like Holmes, is open to new ideas in the spirit of the First Amendment.” Both USF recipients worked with the university’s Office of National Scholarships to apply for the award. “We are so proud of Sarah and Sam and their commitment to public service,” says Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean and President of USF’s PBK Chapter, Charles Adams. “Their impressive achievements and ambitious goals embody the mission of Phi Beta Kappa to champion learning in the liberal arts and sciences and freedom of thought. I look forward to seeing the remarkable things they’ll do next.” - Amy Harroun
THE COMPLETE LIST OF 2021 SCHOLARS INCLUDES:
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John Boland, University of Notre Dame Malina Brannen, Georgetown University Max Chayet, Williams College Gabrielle Crooks, Stanford University Jacob Feuerstein, Bucknell University Sarah Glaser, University of South Florida Sydney Gray, Yale University Joseph Hartung, University of Kansas Jaeger Held, Gettysburg College Michael Hernandez, University of Connecticut Raziya Hillery, Butler University Wren King, West Virginia University Kassandra Le-Huynh, University of Tulsa Isabel Lopez, Rhodes College Karishma Muthukumar, University of California-Irvine Nazm Rahat, Millsaps College Sujay Ratna, Rutgers University- New Brunswick Samuel Rechek, University of South Florida Khaylah Scott, Millsaps College Isha Yardi, University of Maryland-College Park JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 51
