Three Trinity Students Selected for Prestigious Leadership Fellowship

December 3, 2004

Three political science majors at Trinity have been selected to participate in a prestigious year-long leadership fellowship program sponsored by the People for the American Way Foundation, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization. Trinity students Tanjier Belton, Kristin Johnson and Leah Martin will participate in the 2005 Young People For Fellowship program, in which they will learn skills and strategies to become more effective leaders. “The fellowship will help today’s rising progressive leaders to accomplish their goals and make a difference on their campuses, in the community and across the nation,” said Iara D. Peng, director of the program.

The year-long program will kick-off with a Young People For Summit in Washington, January 14 – 17, 2005, at which the fellows will learn how to promote issues in their community and in the media, broaden their advocacy networks and cultivate their skills through training on media and communication, advocacy, research, organizing and career development. Each fellow will leave the Summit with three customized toolkits: an issues toolkit outlining issues and ways to educate others about the issue; a skills toolkit providing strategies for organizing on campus, connecting to media and advocating for issues; and a state-specific toolkit with information about state and local leaders, state-wide non-profit organizations and pending legislation.

The Trinity students selected for the fellowship program, Tanjier Belton, Kristin Johnson, and Leah Martin, were nominated by Trinity’s political science faculty. They were among

120 freshmen, sophomores and juniors from 40 colleges and universities across the country who were selected from 300 applicants to participate in the program. “Each of the nearly 300 applicants demonstrated an admirable commitment to progressive values, a strong passion for a wide range of issues, and an inspiring sense of hope,” said director Iara Peng. “It is clear that the 2005 Young People For Fellowship program is bringing together the strongest possible network of student leaders and activists who will help to reshape the future of progressive youth power in America.”

“This is a significant achievement for these three students,” said Dr. Shelley Tomkin, professor of political science, who coordinated the nominations at Trinity. “The fellowship program offers remarkable opportunities for our students.”

Trinity in Washington is a comprehensive university that offers undergraduate and graduate programs to women and men across the lifespan, with a special commitment to women in the historic College of Arts and Sciences, and a focus on professional preparation in the coeducational School of Education and School of Professional Studies. Trinity enrolls nearly 1,700 students in its degree programs and more than 2,500 students in its non-degree professional development program for teachers.

The 2005 Young People For Fellowship program is sponsored by the People for the American Way Foundation, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization.

For more information, contact Ann Pauley, Trinity media relations at 202-884-9725, or pauleya@trinitydc.edu.