Thirty-six students from throughout the country and the world will make up the fifth class in the Master of Public Service (MPS) degree program at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

The class continues the school’s commitment to a diverse student body, representing 17 states and five countries including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa and Thailand. Seventeen of the students have previous ties to Arkansas having been born, lived or attended college in the state.

From doing clean-up work in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, organizing a major film festival and promoting education for poor children in Honduras to working with organizations such as AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Teach for America and Habitat for Humanity, the class brings a wide array of previous service experience to the Clinton School.

“On paper and in person, this is really a tremendous class,” said Clinton School Dean Skip Rutherford. “They’ve already done some outstanding things, and we’re looking forward to getting them here in the fall and following their Clinton School careers.”

Applications to the Clinton School were up more than 50 percent from 2008, said Alex Thomas, director of Admissions at the Clinton School. The class will be the largest in the school’s five-year history after starting with 16 students in the fall of 2005. Including the current class, the school will have a total of 66 students enrolled this fall.

“We’re excited about our growth and thrilled about the quality of students that are interested in our program,” Rutherford said. “Alex Thomas and our admissions committee have done an outstanding job.”

Among the colleges represented in the class are the University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University, Villanova University, Wake Forest University, Washington University, Wheaton College and the University of Texas, as well as in-state schools Harding University, Hendrix College, Lyon College, the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and UAPB.

Five of the students will enter the concurrent MPS/Juris Doctorate degree program with the UALR Bowen School of Law, and three more were admitted into the program and will enter the Clinton School next year. These students are University of Arkansas graduates Nate Looney of Jonesboro, Ark., and Tabitha Lee of Dermott, Ark., and Davidson College graduate Molly McGowan of Little Rock.

The new students will begin core classes at the Clinton School on August 24 after a mid-August orientation. They will also begin their year-long Practicum (group) public service projects, which take student teams into Arkansas communities to work in the areas of economic development, environmental awareness, public education, youth leadership development and public health. Later in the program, the students will also complete international and individual service projects.

While the new students prepare for orientation, the current class is completing International Public Service Projects all across the world this summer. They will spend the next two semesters completing their final Capstone (individual) projects before graduating on May 8, 2010.

Meet the Class of 2011:

Patrick Banks – A St. Louis native, Banks is a graduate of Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Illinois. After college, he participated in the Teach for America program, working as a high school biology, earth science and chemistry teacher in St. Louis. He has also worked with the Cultural Leadership program in St. Louis to rekindle the historical alliance between African Americans and Jews to fight for social justice.

LaTrenia Byrd – A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and graduate of the University of Alabama, Byrd will enter the concurrent MPS/JD program with the Clinton School and the UALR Bowen School of Law. She has worked as an admission coordinator, counselor and academic scholarship recruiter for Texas A&M University and has completed service work with CARTI, Race for the Cure and America Reads, among other organizations.

Kim Caldwell – A public relations graduate from the University of Texas, Caldwell is a native of Austin, Texas.  She has recently served as a consultant at Greenlights for NonProfit Success, providing capacity building services for a number of Central Texas nonprofits. She is a member of the national board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) and volunteers for Arc of the Arts, an art studio for adults with mental retardation.

Ratnasari Dewi – A native of Indonesia, Dewi recently worked as communication assistant for the World Bank in the post-tsunami area of Banda Aceh. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Padjadjaran University in Bandung, during which time she attended the Singapore International Fellowship and the International Student Festival in Trondheim, Norway. She has also worked as announcer for a local radio station that recently reopened following the tsunami in Banda Aceh.

Adam Drucker - Following graduation from the University of Georgia with a degree in English, Drucker began two terms of service with AmeriCorps where he worked with organizations all over the country including Habitat for Humanity in Hawaii and the state park system in Arkansas. For the past several years, he has done nonprofit work in Washington, D.C., including as program and outreach manager for the Congressional Award on Capitol Hill. 

Elrina Frost – A graduate of the University of Minnesota and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, with degrees in regional analysis and development, Frost’s service experience includes working on HIV education and prevention in clinics in South Africa. A native South African, she has volunteered for the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign in Minneapolis to promote public water systems. She also represented South Africa in Prague at the 14th International Youth Leadership Conference.

Mark Lienhart – Hailing from North Little Rock, Lienhart graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in political science. His service experience includes delivering meals to the elderly with Meals on Wheels in Fayetteville, and promoting education for poor children with Mission Honduras International in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Valerie Hendrix – An Antoine native, Hendrix has a degree in public relations from Harding University in Searcy. She has worked recently on the staffs of Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and Arkansas Congressman Vic Snyder in Washington, D.C. Her service experience includes working as a service project director at Harding and helping with economic development efforts with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

William Jeter – Hailing from Wabbaseka, Jeter is a graduate of the University of Mississippi with a degree in business administration. He has work experience in public affairs, wealth management and financial services and has volunteered with the Arkansas Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and Bikes for Tykes, among other organizations. 

Gralon Johnson – Hailing from St. Louis, Johnson graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) with a degree in human development and family studies. The recent student government president at UAPB, Johnson’s service experience includes work with Big Brothers Big Sisters, March of Dimes, the MLK Memorial Foundation and Trinity Health in Silver Springs, Md., where he helped facilitate health care intervention programs.

Lindsey Johnson – A graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., and a native of Memphis, Johnson recently served as a youth coordinator for UALR Children International, a nonprofit that promotes leadership and education for youth in 11 countries and in Little Rock. During college, she spent a semester working with Food for the Hungry in East Africa and completed internships with Service Over Self and the Hope and Healing Center, both in Memphis.

Ben Kaufman – A native of Milwaukee, Wis., Kaufman earned his bachelor's in anthropology and sociology from Drake University. Following school, he spent a year in AmeriCorps serving full-time with City Year New Hampshire. His other service experience includes interning with Cultural Survival, a group promoting human rights for indigenous people, and working with Best Buddies, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

Mircha C. King - A graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a Boston native, King will pursue the concurrent MPS/JD degree with the Clinton School and the UALR Bowen School of Law. King’s service experience includes working to provide services to the inner-city youths of Georgia and Massachusetts.  This summer, King will work as a Kids Coalition Coordinator with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

Sarah Leer – From Fort Smith, Leer completed undergraduate education at Wake Forest University before earning two master’s degrees in theology at Columbia Theological Seminary. She has worked as assistant program director for a church camp and conference center in Little Rock and helped rebuilding efforts in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with Project Homecoming, a Presbyterian-sponsored project.

Jack Lofton - A native of Hughes, and a graduate of Lyon College, Lofton will enter the concurrent MPS/JD program with the Clinton School and the UALR Bowen School of Law. After pursuing a career in film in which he served as a stand-in for the hit movie “Walk the Line,” Lofton returned to Arkansas to pursue his education and serve as executive director of the Little Rock Film Festival, which recently completed its third year. 

Heather Malveaux – A native of Marrero, La., Malveaux is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans where she studied political science. After college, she worked as an academic coordinator at the Teen Center for Non-violence in Gretna, La. In college, she worked with the Jamaica Experience Volunteer Immersion program helping disadvantaged youth and elderly citizens in Kingston, Jamaica.  She also has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Louisiana.

Julie Meyer – From Appleton, Wis., Meyer is a political science graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. Her service experience includes coordinating a major blood drive for the Community Service Office at Washington University and interning with the St. Louis Public Defenders Office. She also has worked as a tutor for elementary and high school students in St. Louis and volunteered at the St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center.

David Monteith - Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, Monteith has spent the last 11 years teaching high school math and multimedia at the International School of the Americas (ISA), where he also has served for seven years as the coordinator of service learning projects. A graduate of Trinity University with a bachelor’s in mathematics and a master’s in teaching, Monteith recently led his students on a service learning trip to China where they worked with Habitat for Humanity.

Adam Moreland – A native of Morgantown, W.V., Moreland is an arts management and drama graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va. For the past three years, he has worked for Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans, where he’s helped in the clean-up following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Previously, Moreland spent three years in AmeriCorps, serving stints in Charleston, S.C., Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, Calif.

Rebecca Morrison – A native of Fairview, Tenn., and a journalism graduate from the University of Mississippi, Morrison will participate in the concurrent MPS/JD program with the Clinton School and the UALR Bowen School of Law. She has worked as a case assistant for a Jackson, Miss., law firm and volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Books and Basketballs, a sports and tutoring program in Jackson.

Mahmoud Mahmoud – Born in Cairo, Egypt, Mahmoud grew up in New Jersey and graduated from William Patterson University with a degree in sociology. Elected vice president of the student body at William Patterson, Mahmoud has interned in the office of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and in the Harlem office of the William J. Clinton Foundation. Currently working as a substitute teacher, Mahmoud is a member of Keep A Child Alive, an organization that fights HIV/AIDS among children in Africa.

Ivanley Noisette - Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Philadelphia, Penn., Noisette studied political science, Africana studies and history at Villanova University. As an undergraduate student, he served as executive editor of The Culture magazine of the Greater Philadelphia area, a monthly nonprofit social justice magazine. His volunteer experience includes working with several Philadelphia area after-school programs.

Erin O’Leary – From Ferndale, Mich., O’Leary recently graduated from the University of Michigan School of Law after earning a degree in political science from Miami University. She has worked as a legal intern with both the Sierra Club in San Francisco and the Labor Arbitration Council in Cambodia. Her service experience includes a stint with AmeriCorps in Charleston, S.C., and working as a crew leader for Youth Corps of Southern Arizona.

Ryan Olson – A native of Spokane, Wash., and graduate of Gonzaga University, Olson works as program director for the Center for Artistic Revolution, an organization that promotes societal equity in Little Rock. He has volunteered with NotForSale.org, an organization fighting human trafficking, and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which supports diversity and tolerance in youth organizations throughout the country.

Nathanial Owen – A Sherwood native, Owen is a graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University and has completed an Arabic language immersion program with the International Language Institute in Cairo, Egypt. He also has completed Middle Eastern studies courses at UALR. Recently, he worked as an adjustment clerk for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and served as president of the company’s division-wide incentive pay program. 

Katherine Raum – A native of Joplin, Mo., Raum graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a degree in sociology and a minor in French. She recently completed a two-year service stint with Peace Corps in Sepuka, Tanzania, where she worked on initiatives related to HIV/AIDS education and public health. She will enter the concurrent MPS/JD degree program at the Clinton School and the UALR Bowen School of Law.

Jeerawat Na Thalang - Hailing from Thailand, Jeerawat earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in European studies at Chulalongkorn University. Her work experience includes teaching English in a Thai refugee camp to students from Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Recently, she has worked as a journalist for The Nation newspaper in Thailand and the Seattle Post Intelligencer. 

Sophia Said – A native of Lahore, Pakistan, Said is a graduate of the University of Utah with a degree in economics. She has worked with Girl Scouts of America to establish Girl Scout troops specifically designed for Muslim girls in Utah and Arkansas. She also has worked extensively with local PTA groups in Salt Lake City and Little Rock to create a positive and nurturing environment for children in public schools.

Latif Salem – A native of Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, Salem earned a master’s in peacebuilding and conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University while also studying international development at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich. He has worked for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Program as a monitoring and evaluation officer in Afghanistan for seven years. 

Debbie Sellnow – Hailing from Fargo, N.D., Sellnow is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where she earned a degree in political science. She has worked as a preschool instructor and with a program dedicated to helping children with autism. She also completed an internship with the Minnesota state senate during the 2008 legislative session and helped coordinate a conference on women in the military. 

Hallie Shoffner – A Newport native and graduate of Vanderbilt University, Shoffner has worked as a research assistant for a Northeast Arkansas agricultural research farm and as a fundraiser for a nonprofit based in Seattle. She spent a stint in Kolkata, India promoting women’s rights with Apne Aap Women Worldwide, where  she worked as an English teacher and office assistant. She also has volunteered with an environmental project in Everglades National Park and with an initiative to fight homelessness in Washington, D.C. 

Anna Strong – Hailing from Searcy, Strong graduated from Hendrix College with a degree in mathematics before taking an analyst position with Acxiom Corp., an information and data management company. Her service experience includes volunteering and fundraising for Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she currently serves as president of the hospital’s committee for the future. At Acxiom, she has worked with the Xtreme Green Team, which promotes environmentalism in the workplace.

Becca Swearingen – A graduate of Hendrix College with a degree in Spanish, Swearingen completed a study-abroad program in Alicante, Spain. She has spent the last several years managing a nonprofit dental clinic for underserved populations in Rogers, her hometown.  Her previous experience includes working as a coordinator for a local family center, volunteering with a Hispanic women’s organization and helping various local agencies with fundraising and program expansion.

David Watterson – A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Watterson is a professional pianist and independent singer/songwriter. A native of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., he spent a year in AmeriCorps’ City Year Chicago program where he logged more than 4,000 service hours in the Chicago Public Schools. He has been a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts and spent a summer volunteering as a rural school teacher in Western Kenya.

Judy Watts – A graduate of the University of Texas with a degree in radio and television and a native of Longview, Texas, Watts recently worked as development coordinator for a nonprofit public radio station. She serves as a board member and English as a Second Language instructor for Alacridad, a nonprofit that provides assistance to Latin American community programs. She also volunteers as a Big Sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. 

Latonya Wilson – From Marianna, Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hendrix College and a master’s in missions and intercultural studies from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. She has volunteered as a mentor for teenage girls with STEP Ministries and worked with 6thK Café, a luncheon to benefit Breast Cancer survivors. She is the recipient of Hendrix College’s Distinguished Black Alumni Award.