Scholarship candidates inspire locally, abroad

Aaron Reinke and Many Shirwise are in contention to become Truman scholars, which would allow them to continue their education and career paths

By Andrew Wiebe

Monday, February 18, 2008

Aaron Reinke and Mandy Shriwise’s journey toward public service began during the summer of 2006 when both traveled to Tanzania to volunteer in local hospitals. More than a year-and-a-half later, both are in contention for Harry S. Truman Scholarships, which would allow each to continue their education and direct them toward a career in public service.

On Tuesday, they will find out if they are one of 200 finalists for the scholarship, worth up to $30,000 for graduate school. Reinke, Stilwell junior, and Shriwise, Overland Park junior, are two of 600 preliminary candidates competing for the scholarships, which are given to students training for leadership roles in public service.

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Courtesy of Mandy Shriwise

Mandy Shriwise, Overland Park junior, with Jaquline her neighbor who was suffering from AIDS.

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Courtesy of Aaron Reinke

Aaron Reinke, with child of family whose house they are rebuilding in Juarez, Mexico.

After narrowing the field to 200, 75 Truman scholars will be chosen in late March. Students who receive the scholarship must commit to three years of public service during the seven years following completion of graduate school. Both Reinke and Shriwise said they were pre-med majors with aspirations to work within the medical profession to improve conditions for the less fortunate.

“I think whenever you do any kind of humanitarian work, you get in touch with that human instinct in people,” Shriwise said. “That aspect of you that you don’t want to see someone else suffer, and you don’t want to see anyone doing without needs that are basic to their survival and also their well-being, their enjoyment of life.”

Reinke and Shriwise said their experiences in Africa served as inspiration to continue pursuing public service and humanitarian work. After developing a personal relationship with many of the people in the area where she worked, Shriwise returned to Tanzania this past summer with $10,000 she helped raise to help renovate a local school. Reinke traveled to Juarez, Mexico, to help build a new home for a local family.

Reinke said although the family was living in a dwelling constructed of shipping pallets, he was inspired by the strength of their faith in humanity and positive outlook on life.

“It’s amazing to see them because they have smiles on their faces,” Reinke said. “They are laughing, and their kids are jumping on you. They know they are poor, but they don’t feel sorry for themselves.”

Reinke, an engineering major with an environmental concentration, said after medical school and residency he hoped to return to a third-world country to practice medicine while using his engineering degree to improve the quality of drinking water, among other things. Shriwise said she was interested in working within governmental agencies to develop health initiatives that would help bridge health care gaps across the globe.

Both said their powerful experiences within other cultures had helped them learn more about themselves and humanity in general.

“You kind of become dedicated to living a more simple life,” said Reinke, who is a volunteer at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Jubilee Café. “Extravagances and luxuries just don’t seem as important anymore.”

Shriwise said her experience abroad has taught her about the effect financial, mental and emotional empowerment can have on people with few opportunities for advancement.

“I think that when you really believe that you can do something, it changes your outlook on the world, and you become a much more active participant in your social environment,” Shriwise said. “On top of that, when you can make resources available to people with that drive, then you can really make things happen that just wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”

—Edited by Matt Hirschfeld

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