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The Humphrey School of Public Affairs is the University of Minnesota's school of policy and planning.


Class of '99 Wellstone Award

“You will be more credible to yourselves and therefore more credible to others if you do not separate the lives that you live from the words that you speak.”
                                         —Paul Wellstone, 1998

“May we so conduct ourselves, and may we do all that we can, so that a hundred years from now, our daughters' daughters' daughters may come to think of us here at the beginning of the 21st century. And may they have reason to know, that they will be, in that moment, the whole reason for which we now exist at all.”

                                          —Sheila Wellstone, 1998

Nominations for this award are due May 7, 2013.

 

The Humphrey School Class of 1999 established the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Award for Public Action. As a class, we were deeply inspired by Paul and Sheila’s work towards creating a more just society. At our commencement in 2001, Paul Wellstone challenged us to act out of our convictions for the causes that matter most to us and to our community. Through their actions for equity and fairness, they taught us to be engaged and spirited public actors.

In an effort to carry on the legacy of Paul and Sheila’s work, this award recognizes a graduating Humphrey School student who embodies the spirit, passion, and dedication of the Wellstones.

Eligibility + selection

To be considered for the Class of '99 Wellstone Award, the award candidate(s) must be a student or a student group from the Humphrey School and shall exhibit one or more of the following criteria:

  • An ongoing commitment to advancing social justice by working with underrepresented and vulnerable populations through community, labor, or public interest organizing; volunteering; professional work; and/or advocacy, in a local, national, or international context.
  • Dedication to causes that build capacity in others to meet their individual and collective goals.
  • Demonstrated commitment to the advancement of progressive ideas that cross the public and private arenas of daily life.
  • Demonstrated innovative spirit in approaching a pressing social, educational, environmental, racial, ethnic, gender, health, economic, or legal issue within a community
  • Demonstrated service linked to its larger social context.

A committee of Humphrey School alumni will select the recipient of this award. The award and a prize of $500 will be given at commencement on May 20, 2013. 

To apply

Applicants must submit the following information: 

  • Unofficial transcript indicating the student will complete the equivalent coursework necessary to graduate by August 2013.
  • Brief personal statement of approximately two to three pages that elaborates on the above-mentioned criteria. Information in this statement might include a description of the student's public service efforts and how these efforts relate to his/her personal and professional goals.
  • Two or more letters of recommendation. These letters will refer to the student’s previous or current work experience, internship, graduate assistantship, or other community experience. At least one letter must come from a full-time appointed faculty member or fellow at the Humphrey School. At least one letter must come from a member of the community or a peer who can clearly articulate the nominee's commitment to the above mentioned criteria.
  • Resume or CV

Please feel free to nominate yourself, your group or others.  Nomination materials may be submitted electronically to hhhalum@umn.edu or to the Humphrey School Alumni Relations, c/o Courtney Barrette, 300 Humphrey School, 301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455 by 4:30 pm on May 7, 2013.