Achievers: UCO student receives Truman Scholarship

University of Central Oklahoma student Beyonce Hammond, a junior political science major from Moore, was recently named a 2022 Truman Scholar for her academic ability and commitment to public service.

Hammond is the first UCO student chosen as a Truman Scholar since 1996 and is the fourth Truman Scholar from UCO.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, a living memorial to President Harry S. Truman and national monument to public service, announced 58 students from 53 U.S. colleges and universities, including Hammond, as 2022 Truman Scholars. Hammond is the only student selected from Oklahoma colleges and universities.

“The Truman Scholarship is a prestigious scholarship that aims to support young leaders who plan to pursue a career in public service,” said Michael Springer, professor of history, director of the Office of High-Impact Practices and Truman Scholarship adviser at UCO.

“Beyonce is an excellent example of UCO’s culture of transformative learning, creatively integrating her academic interests with her campus and community engagement for everyone’s benefit. I am immensely proud of Beyonce and am excited about her future.”

While at UCO, Hammond has served as the chairperson of the diversity and inclusion committee for UCO's Student Association, vice president of the UCO Black Student Association action team and a member of UCO’s President’s Leadership Council. Also, Hammond is a member of the UCO Pre-Law Society, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) at UCO and the UCO African Student Association. Outside of UCO, she interns for Oklahoma State Rep. Merleyn Bell and Oklahoma state Rep. Ajay Pittman.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Achievers: UCO student receives Truman Scholarship