JONES COUNTY STUDENT
Colin Hall, a political science major with a minor in criminal justice from Jones County, is Georgia College & State University’s (GCSU) firstever Truman Scholar and was the only Georgia student to receive the scholarship this year.
“We are incredibly proud of Colin and this tremendous achievement,” said GCSU President Cathy Cox in a press release. “He embodies the service-oriented values of the Truman Scholarship and proudly represents the mission of Georgia College & State University to produce graduates who are committed to ethical leadership and public service.”
The Truman Foundation is the nation’s official living memorial to America’s thirty-third president Harry Truman.
The first Truman Scholarship was awarded during the 1977-78 academic year and has since been awarded every year. Students are nominated by their institution based on their records of leadership, public service, and academic achievement. This year, 62 new Truman Scholars were selected from 705 applicants representing 275 colleges and universities nationwide.
According to Hall, he applied for the Truman Scholarship under the recommendation of National Scholarships Office Coordinator Anna Whiteside. He stated he met with her about scholarship opportunities after she learned about his participation in GCSU’s Election Administration Certificate program.
This is the only academic certificate on elections in the state of Georgia and one of only a few nationwide.
“I am very proud that my college is politically involved because that is important and that faculty support their students by paving pathways for them to pursue and gain experience,” said Hall. “Anna Whiteside gave me this opportunity and I am especially grateful for our conversations and her assistance in my path of becoming a Truman Scholar.
Growing up in Jones County, Hall remarked that his parents, his church, and his teachers were his role models and motivators. Each of these people dedicated their life to serving others and often told Hall about the importance of being involved in the community.
“I believe education is the foundation to achieve success. That is something my teachers, my parents, and my church have instilled in me,” said Hall.
“Most of my service to the community has been through the school system or through my church.
God has guided me to stay involved and educate others in various ways, whether it be reading a book, being politically involved, or settling down with our youth on Sundays to teach about his word.”
Hall takes service to his community very seriously. He often volunteers to read at Mattie Wells Elementary School in Jones County, where his mother teaches fourth grade. He has also taught Sunday school since he was 12 and became involved with the Jones County Republican Party at the age of 17. He has served in multiple elected positions within the Jones County Republican Party, including second vice chair, college outreach director, and teen representative.
After moving to Baldwin County, his service did not stop. At Georgia College, Hall assists peers in resume writing and mock interviewing at the university’s Career Center. He also serves on the GCSU Student Government as a senator and has completed multiple community service projects through other campus organizations.
Hall also continued teaching Sunday school after finding his home at Northridge Christian Church and stated he is working with various schools in the area to be able to come in and read.
“I am currently bringing change to the communities that I love and appreciate but, in the future, I hope to bring change to the state I love,” said Hall. “I hope to one day become the governor of Georgia and ensure that Georgians have the necessary resources to achieve a fulfilling and successful life.”
Becoming a Truman Scholar is a “stepping stone” for Hall that will help him towards his future of becoming the governor of the state of Georgia. Each Truman Scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.
“The Truman Foundation wants to find individuals dedicated to public service for their independent causes,” said Hall. “My cause was education and I presented that in my policy proposal. I hope I can take the proposal and make it come true one day.”
Hall’s proposal to the Truman Scholarship advocates for universal pre-K to prepare children academically and developmentally for their futures.
“My proposal ensures that regardless of geographic location or economic situation that a child will not be counted out of an education because of a circumstance. A head start education will propel a student in life and it hurts my heart to know that not all children have the opportunity in the present,” said Hall.
“At Georgia College, my research has also focused on pre-k education and it proves that head start education will propel them for success in the future.”
Moving forward, Hall’s next step is to finish his junior and senior years at GCSU before moving on to pursue the MPA/JD joint degree program at the University of Georgia.
Alongside his continuous journey of higher education, he will continue work and promotion of his proposal in hopes it will one day be a reality.
