EC Scholar Finalist for Truman Scholarship, One Of Most Prestigious Scholarships in America

As she wraps up her junior year, preparing for finals, pursuing research, and strengthening a globally travelling wellness organization, EC Scholar Jocelyn Bayles is competing as a top finalist for the Truman Scholarship, the premier graduate fellowship in the United States for those pursuing careers as public service leaders. The Truman Foundation identifies young people at an important inflection point in their development—when they are college juniors—and recognizes and rewards their commitments to devote themselves to public service. Each year, hundreds of college juniors compete for roughly 60 awards. The rigorous selection process requires that good candidates have a strong record of public service, as well as a policy proposal that addresses a particular issue in society.

Jocelyn seeks to inspire and affect positive lifestyle changes through food-based education. Her research focuses on assessing the health concerns of Head Start children, families, teachers, and administrators to identify sustainable solutions. Jocelyn’s honors thesis examines the effect of hands-on nutrition curriculum on the preference for, and consumption of, fruits and vegetables in Head Start preschoolers. On campus, Jocelyn serves as the global coordinator of the wellness organization “Pirates Promoting Community Wellness,” with which she led 10 students to Honduras to staff medical clinics in rural communities. Jocelyn has also worked alongside migrant farmer populations and local Hispanic women, teaching English and advocating for their voice. These experiences and her time studying politics and nutrition in Granada, Spain have been among the most important parts of her undergraduate studies. She intends to pursue a dual Master’s in Public Health and Master’s in Nutrition, with a concentration in Health Policy, centering her career in nutrition policy to decrease childhood obesity in the U.S. with a multi-cultural focus. In her free time, Jocelyn can be found teaching fitness classes at the gym, working at a local montessori farm, or curled up on the couch with a good book.

Past recipients of the Truman Scholarship are working in the West Wing, sitting on the US Supreme Court, and serving in federal and state legislatures. They are transforming nonprofits, delivering crucial services and organizing for change in local communities. And Truman Scholars are leaders in academia, research, and health care. They can be found in every branch of the Armed Services. And many make a difference beyond the borders of the United States.