Wyatt Smith, Ingram Scholar and president of Vanderbilt Student Government, has been named this year’s recipient of Vanderbilt’s Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellowship. The goal of the fellowship is to develop future leaders through world travel and experiential learning. Graduating seniors awarded the fellowship have the opportunity to pursue an idea or an issue, about which they are impassioned, in the context of daily life in communities around the world.
Smith, who is from Reform, Ala., graduated in May with majors in human and organizational development and political science. He carries a minor in economics and a concentration in public policy. In his project, titled “What Constitutes Empowerment? Exploring the Global Intersection of Democracy, Poverty and Citizenship,” Smith plans to travel to democracies spanning six continents while exploring the pursuits of religious freedom, economic opportunity, educational access and political participation in free societies across the world.
Smith has also been selected as the 2010 Young Alumni Trustee for the Vanderbilt Board of Trust.