March 06, 2013
Two St. John’s University juniors have been awarded Public
Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) Fellowships to
prepare for graduate study in the field by attending the 2013 Junior Summer
Institute (JSI) at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public
and International Affairs.
Shama Ams ’14C and Ariyo Adekeji Ojagbamila ’14C are among only
35 undergraduates selected for the fellowship from a nationwide
pool of 492 applicants. The seven-week summer program prepares
outstanding students for graduate work in public policy and
international affairs and, ultimately, leadership roles in those
fields.
The Woodrow Wilson School has hosted the Junior Summer Institute
since 1985. It is sponsored by PPIA, a not-for-profit organization
with a consortium of more than 30 participating graduate programs
in public policy and international affairs. Students who complete
the fellowship join a network of nearly 4,000 alumni.
Ams
said he was “in shock” when he learned of his selection. “It was
only a few weeks later, after I received the acceptance folder from
the Woodrow Wilson School, that the magnitude of the situation
finally dawned on me,” explained the Houston, Texas, native. He is
studying
government and politics with a dual major in
economics.
“I’m thrilled and excited,” said Ojagbamila, a government and
politics major with minors in economics and philosophy of law.
“It’s a bit overwhelming, given the competitive nature of the
award.”
Konrad T. Tuchscherer, PhD, associate professor of
history and director of the Africana Studies Program, feels
that the success of Ams and Ojagbamila reflects the University’s
increasing emphasis on global education. “In this competition, as
with our recent Fulbright success, our students are better prepared
to make a mark in higher education and the global workforce,” he
said. “It’s incredibly gratifying to see them do so well.”
Ojagbamila moved to the United States in 2010, having
grown up in an impoverished section of Lagos, Nigeria. “I’m a firm
believer in St. John’s Vincentian mission to help others,” he said.
“My ultimate goal is the eradication of global poverty. My hope is
that the program can provide me with the tools I need to achieve
that objective.” A member of the University’s venerable Skull and
Circle Honor Society, Ojagbamila is also a Presidential
Scholar.
Ams, a Ronald E. McNair
Scholar, is the founder of a nonprofit organization that aims
to distribute medical equipment to developing countries in Africa.
He plans to use the knowledge he gains this summer to strengthen
his research on health care institutions in Johannesburg, South
Africa. “We’ll have an opportunity to present our work before
current and former US diplomats and policy analysts,” said Ams.
“I’m very excited about that.”
Fred Cocozzelli, PhD, associate professor of government and
politics who mentors both Ams and Ojagbamila, has high praise for
the pair. “Shama and Ariyo have been great fun to have as
students,” he said. “As smart, talented, and ambitious as they are,
it is just as important to recognize that they are fun, optimistic,
and engaging people. It’s exciting to have them recognized for
their talents and hard work.”
Ams and Ojagbamila are among the latest St. John’s
undergraduates to receive prestigious academic honors over the past
year. In 2012, seven students were awarded Fulbright
Scholarships.
